GM and SAIC Opens China's Largest Automotive Proving Ground

General MotorsGMUnited States of America, 1998 > present8 models
240 photos
and its Chinese partner SAICTamplinUnited Kingdom, 1920 > 19201 model
have opened the largest automotive proving ground in China that they call the Guangde Proving Ground. The 5.67km² proving ground is located in Guangde County in the province on Anhui, which is in the mid-eastern part of the country and cost about $253 million to produce. Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center will operate the center.

“GM has brought some of our industry’s most advanced technology and processes to the Guangde Proving Ground. The greatest beneficiary will be our customers, who will receive even higher-quality vehicles that are equal to those built and sold anywhere else in the world,” said Kevin Wale, president of GM China.

The proving grounds consists of an oval track, vehicle dynamics test area, a long straightaway, ride and handling loop, noise test road, durability test area, corrosion test area and hill test area. There are also labs, repair facilities and workshops. 

The center will be used for automotive development, validation, certification and quality control, and the partners anticipate doing about 20 million kilometers of testing there each year. GM believes that the proving ground will shorten development time for its GM models.