The U.S. division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has invested more than $30 million in a new autonomous driving and advanced testing facility at its Chelsea Proving Grounds in southeast Michigan.
The investment is meant to help further the development and testing of driverless cars and advanced safety technologies. The facility includes a highway-speed track for vehicle testing, a 35-acre safety-feature evaluation area and a high-tech command centre. Testing programs are set to launch in September.
“The all-new facility at Chelsea Proving Grounds will help support and enable the successful rollout of the company’s five-year plan laid out earlier this year,” said Mike Manley, CEO, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Chief Operating Officer, NAFTA region. “Our ability to test for autonomous and advanced safety technologies enables FCA to offer our customers the features they want across our brand portfolio.”
Various levels of autonomy will be tested at the facility to ensure the carmaker can properly evaluate the brand’s vehicles. The company also aims to include test protocols from third parties such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), U.S. New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP). Automatic electronic brake test simulations will also be included.
