Ford Proving Grounds
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Ford Motor Company operates several proving grounds worldwide, for development and validation testing of new vehicles.
For Ford/Mazda Proving Grounds in Japan see Mazda Proving Grounds
[edit] North America
[edit] Arizona Proving Ground (APG) - Yucca, Arizona
Lattitude and Longitude:
Arizona Proving Ground (APG) is a vehicle test facility established in 1955 in Yucca, Arizona. It is owned and operated by Ford Motor Company based in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. APG is located at the foot of the Hualapai Mountains near Yucca, Arizona, 120 miles (200 km) southeast of Las Vegas, situated between Lake Havasu and Kingman, Arizona.
The facility was originally Yucca Army Airfield, an Army Air Corps training base, used during World War II. The field was declared surplus land by 1946 and the ownership was turned over to Ford in 1954.
[edit] Features
Arizona Proving Ground has more than 50 miles (80 km) of concrete and earthen surfaces on 3,840 acres (15.5 km²) that are continuously maintained. It includes a five-mile high speed banked oval track, with a myriad of other road testing surfaces. With extended operations in the nearby mountain range, at elevations ranging from 500 to 6500 feet (150 to 2000 m) above sea level, and varied terrain and annual temperatures ranging from 30 to 120 °F (0 to 50 °C)), APG provides a wide spectrum of vehicle testing conditions.
The facility also includes:
- An 18 acre (7 ha) vehicle dynamics area
- A water ingestion test area
- Vehicle corrosion test chambers
- Special test roads/surfaces for vehicle durability testing
- A water leak test facility
- A low friction facility suitable for ABS system testing
- Light truck structural durability
- Accelerated vehicle corrosion testing
- Car and truck thermal management
- Hot fuel and octane testing
- Splash testing/water ingestion testing
- FMVSS and IAO brake certification for car and light truck
- Tire traction testing for car and light truck
- Elevation - 1,950 feet (590 m)
- Average maximum summer temperature - 103 °F (39 °C)
- Average minimum winter temperature - 59 °F (15 °C)
- Average annual precipitation - 6.4 inches (160 mm)
[edit] Volvo Arizona Proving Ground (VAPG) - Wittmann, Arizona
Lattitude and Longitude:
Volvo Arizona Proving Ground opened in 1985. The Proving Grounds consists of 1,498 acres (606 ha) located one hour northwest of the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport at an elevation of 1,650 feet (500 m). Volvo Arizona Proving Ground is operated year round. The climate is of a desert type with low annual rainfall and low relative humidity. Daytime temperatures are high throughout the summer months. The winters are mild. Nighttime temperatures frequently drop below freezing during the three coldest months, but the afternoons are usually sunny and warm.
[edit] Michigan Proving Ground (MPG) - Romeo, Michigan
Lattitude and Longitude:
Ford's Michigan Proving Grounds of Romeo, Michigan sits on 3,880 acres (1,570 ha), and contains a total of 41 miles (66 km) of roads. These grounds hold events like the International Society of Engineers Formula Racecar Competition. This involves teams from colleges, like ISU Formula SAE, around the world to compete in a competition involving both design and performance.
Major Facilities: High speed track, durability/special surface roads, grades, EMC facility, road simulators, fire resistance facility, vehicle dynamics area
Purpose: Car and truck durability, performance
[edit] Dearborn Development Center (formerly Dearborn Proving Ground)
Lattitude and Longitude:
The Dearborn Development Center was built on the site of Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan. The facility, formerly known as Dearborn Proving Ground (DPG), completed major reconstruction and renovations in 2006.
[edit] Florida Evaluation Center (FEC) - Naples, Florida
Stats: 530 acres, 6.2 miles of roads
Major facilities: Straightaway, lane change area, handling course, sound test area Major testing: Warm weather performance and handling
[edit] Extreme Cold Weather Test Facility (ECWTF) - Thompson, Manitoba
Lattitude and Longitude:
The facility is located at the nearby airport in Thompson, Manitoba, Canada. The Extreme Cold Weather Test Facility offers vehicle testing in extremely cold weather conditions, and with ice and snow, during the winter months from around November 1 to April 30.
[edit] Features
- 600 foot (180 m) diameter skid circle
- Ride & handling course
- 1600 foot (490 m) straightaway
- 1500 foot (460 m) variable friction surfaces
- Ice skid pads
- 500 foot (150 m) snow run up
- 900 foot (270 m) ice straightaway
- 200 foot (60 m) snow braking
- 18,000 square foot (1670 m²) indoor facility with vehicle hoists
- 729 feet (222 m) above sea level
- Refrigerated trailers for controlled cold temperature vehicle soaks
- Dry surfaces on airport runways
- Loose snow surfaces
- Access to ice road on Moak Lake
[edit] Cuautitlan Proving Ground - Ford of Mexico - Cuautitlan, Mexico
Stats : 245 acres, 5 miles of roads
Major facilities: High speed track, special surface/low speed track, straightaway, handling course, grades, corrosion/salt bath, twin rolls Major testing: Performance, ride, and handling; corrosion testing; emissions certification
[edit] Cold Climate Test Facility - Bemidji, Minnesota
Stats: Avg. temps are -30F to +10F during winter months
Major facilities: Cold start positions, snow ingestion building Major testing: Cold weather starting/drives, snow ingestion
[edit] South America
[edit] Tatui Proving Ground, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Stats : 1,200 acres, 33 miles of roads
Major facilities: High speed track, special surface/low speed track, handling course, grades, salt bath, environmental exposure area Major testing: Performance, ride, and handling; environmental simulation, corrosion testing
[edit] Europe
[edit] Lommel Proving Grounds (LPG) - Lommel, Belgium
Lattitude and Longitude:
Stats: 800 acres, 39.3 miles of roads
Major facilities: Humidity chambers, salt water/mud baths, straightaway, high speed track, durability road, special surfaces, side wind facility Major testing: Car and light truck durability; performance, ride, and handling
[edit] Australasia
[edit] Lara/You Yangs Proving Ground - Ford Australia - You Yangs, Australia
Lattitude and Longitude:
Stats: 1,752 acres, 24 miles of roads
Major facilities: High speed track, special surface/low speed track, handling course, grades, salt/mud bath, environmental exposure area, crash test site, climactic test chambers and NVH Labs Major testing: Performance, ride, and handling; environmental simulation, corrosion, and NVH testing
[edit] Former Proving Grounds
F.M.C. G.T.O Cold Climate Test Facility - Raco, Michigan Lattitude and Longitude: Facility now owned by Smithers Scientific Services
