Ford Proving Grounds
Encyclopedia
Ford Motor Company
operates several proving ground
s worldwide, for development and validation testing of new vehicles.
For Ford/Mazda Proving Grounds in Japan see Mazda Proving Grounds
The Arizona Proving Ground opened in 1985. The Proving Ground consists of 1,498 acres (6.06 km²) located less than one hour northwest of the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport at an elevation of 1,650 feet (500 m). The facility was originally a Volvo facility (VAPG) but was transitioned to the Ford branding in the summer of 2009 and renamed the Arizona Proving Ground (APG).
The 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.
The facility is conveniently located on the outskirts of Phoenix, and offers complete services for vehicle testing to outside companies. Outside parties can have testing conducted by APG personnel or can directly rent the use of the test surfaces for their own staff. Office space, garage areas and event planning is also offered.
Arizona Proving Ground
The Ford Michigan Proving Ground (MPG) of Romeo, Michigan
sits on 3,880 acres (15.7 km²), and contains a total of over 100 miles (160.9 km) of roads. These grounds hold events like the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula car competition (FSAE). This involves teams from colleges and universities 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 testing
Michigan Proving Ground
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.
Dearborn Development Center
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.
Extreme Cold Weather Test Facility
Latitude and Longitude: 19°38′39"N 99°11′27"W
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
Major facilities: Cold start positions, snow ingestion building
Major testing: Cold weather starting/drives, snow ingestion
Latitude and Longitude: 23°23′33"S 47°55′0"W
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
Latitude and Longitude: 51°34′57"N 0°24′14"E
More information coming soon
The Lommel Proving Grounds
, also known as Ford LPG, were constructed on land rented from the city of Lommel from 1960.
Stats: 796 acres (3.22 km²), 49.7 miles (80 km) 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
Stats: 1,752 acres (7 km²), 24 miles (39 km) of roads
Major facilities include:
Parabolic high speed track (Approximately 5km)
Special surfaces (Cobblestones, corrugations, Belgian blocks, etc.), Low speed track, High speed ride and handling course, Sealed and unsealed gradients, Sealed and unsealed skid pans, Salt/mud bath, Environmental exposure area, Crash test site, Climatic test chambers, Anechoic dyno chamber, High speed wind tunnel, Emissions testing laboratory.
Major testing includes:
Performance vehicle development, Vehicle ride and handling refinement, Environmental condition simulation, Vehicle corrosion, Noise vibration and harshness, Emissions control, Vehicle durability.
Arizona Proving Ground (APG) was sold to Chrysler in 2007.
This is no longer a Ford facility. -- See Chrysler Proving Grounds
Facility now owned by Smithers Scientific Services
Stats: 530 acres (2.1 km²), 6.2 miles (10 km) of roads
Major facilities: Straightaway, lane change area, handling course, sound test area
Major testing: Warm weather performance and handling
This facility is no longer leased by Ford. Ford vacated the facility in 2004.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
operates several proving ground
Proving ground
A proving ground is the US name for a military installation or reservation where weapons or other military technology are experimented or tested, or where military tactics are tested...
s worldwide, for development and validation testing of new vehicles.
For Ford/Mazda Proving Grounds in Japan see Mazda Proving Grounds
Arizona Proving Ground (APG) - Wittmann, Arizona
Latitude and Longitude: 33°42′23.02"N 112°30′23.75"WThe 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.
The facility is conveniently located on the outskirts of Phoenix, and offers complete services for vehicle testing to outside companies. Outside parties can have testing conducted by APG personnel or can directly rent the use of the test surfaces for their own staff. Office space, garage areas and event planning is also offered.
Arizona Proving Ground
Michigan Proving Ground (MPG) - Romeo, Michigan
Latitude and Longitude: 42°51′0"N 83°2′24"WThe Ford Michigan Proving Ground (MPG) of Romeo, Michigan
Romeo, Michigan
Romeo is a village in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,721 at the 2000 census. The village is situated at the southeast corner of Bruce Township, with a portion extending south into Washington Township. Armada Township is adjacent to the east and Ray Township to the...
sits on 3,880 acres (15.7 km²), and contains a total of over 100 miles (160.9 km) of roads. These grounds hold events like the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula car competition (FSAE). This involves teams from colleges and universities 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 testing
Michigan Proving Ground
Dearborn Development Center (formerly Dearborn Proving Ground [DPG])
Latitude and Longitude: 42°18′0.42"N 83°13′14.75"WThe Dearborn Development Center was built on the site of Ford Airport
Ford Airport (Dearborn)
Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan was one of the first modern airports in the world. The airport operated from 1924 to 1947, and the site is now part of Ford Motor Company's Dearborn Proving Ground. The airport is about 360 acres in size....
in Dearborn, Michigan. The facility, formerly known as Dearborn Proving Ground (DPG), completed major reconstruction and renovations in 2006.
Dearborn Development Center
Extreme Cold Weather Test Facility (ECWTF) - Thompson, Manitoba
Latitude and Longitude: 55°49′53.13"N 97°48′59.89"WThe facility is located at the nearby airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in Thompson, Manitoba
Thompson, Manitoba
Thompson is a city in northern Manitoba. As the "Hub of the North" it serves as the regional trade and service centre of northern Manitoba. Thompson is located north of the Canada – United States border, north of the provincial capital of Winnipeg, and is northeast of Flin Flon...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. 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.
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
- Packed snow surfaces
- Access to ice road on Moak Lake
Extreme Cold Weather Test Facility
Cuautitlan Proving Ground - Ford of Mexico - Cuautitlan, Mexico
Stats : 245 acres (1 km²), 5 miles (8 km) of roadsLatitude and Longitude: 19°38′39"N 99°11′27"W
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
Cold Climate Test Facility - Bemidji, Minnesota
Stats: Avg. temps are -30 °F to +10F during winter monthsMajor facilities: Cold start positions, snow ingestion building
Major testing: Cold weather starting/drives, snow ingestion
Automatic Transmission New Product Center - Livonia, Michigan
Major facilities: High speed track. Park paw test ramp. Cold soak chambersTatui Proving Ground, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Stats : 1,200 acres (4.9 km²), 33 miles (53 km) of roadsLatitude and Longitude: 23°23′33"S 47°55′0"W
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
Dunton Technical Centre - Basildon, Essex, England
Proving ground for Ford UK.Latitude and Longitude: 51°34′57"N 0°24′14"E
More information coming soon
Lommel Proving Grounds (LPG) - Lommel, Belgium
Latitude and Longitude: 51°11′52.65"N 5°19′40.02"EThe Lommel Proving Grounds
Lommel Proving Grounds
The Lommel Proving Ground also known as the Ford LPG, is a automotive proving ground, constructed by Ford of Europe on ground rented from the city of Lommel, located south of the Belgian hamlet of Kattenbos...
, also known as Ford LPG, were constructed on land rented from the city of Lommel from 1960.
Stats: 796 acres (3.22 km²), 49.7 miles (80 km) 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
Lara/You Yangs Proving Ground - Ford Australia - You Yangs, Australia
Latitude and Longitude: 37°53′29"S 144°24′32"EStats: 1,752 acres (7 km²), 24 miles (39 km) of roads
Major facilities include:
Parabolic high speed track (Approximately 5km)
Special surfaces (Cobblestones, corrugations, Belgian blocks, etc.), Low speed track, High speed ride and handling course, Sealed and unsealed gradients, Sealed and unsealed skid pans, Salt/mud bath, Environmental exposure area, Crash test site, Climatic test chambers, Anechoic dyno chamber, High speed wind tunnel, Emissions testing laboratory.
Major testing includes:
Performance vehicle development, Vehicle ride and handling refinement, Environmental condition simulation, Vehicle corrosion, Noise vibration and harshness, Emissions control, Vehicle durability.
Arizona Proving Ground (APG) - Yucca, Arizona
Latitude and Longitude: 34°52′29"N 114°7′31"WArizona Proving Ground (APG) was sold to Chrysler in 2007.
This is no longer a Ford facility. -- See Chrysler Proving Grounds
Chrysler Proving Grounds
Chrysler LLC operates proving grounds around North America, for development and validation testing of new vehicles.-Arizona Proving Ground :Location:The Arizona Proving Ground is a vehicle test facility established in 1955 in Yucca, Arizona...
Cold Climate Test Facility - Raco, Michigan
Latitude and Longitude: 46°21′10.03"N 84°49′5.55"WFacility now owned by Smithers Scientific Services
Florida Evaluation Center (FEC) - Naples, Florida
Latitude and Longitude: 26°10′9.58"N 81°30′1.08"WStats: 530 acres (2.1 km²), 6.2 miles (10 km) of roads
Major facilities: Straightaway, lane change area, handling course, sound test area
Major testing: Warm weather performance and handling
This facility is no longer leased by Ford. Ford vacated the facility in 2004.