Self-driving centre tests cars before they hit open road

The launch of selfdriving vehicle testing at the American Center for Mobility west of Detroit came with something that frequently confounds human drivers in Michigan: Snow. But it’s an element that actually boosts the value of the site, which was once the home of the famed Willow Run, the Second World War bomber plant.

The proving ground north of I-94 in Ypsilanti Township has been under construction for much of the past year and officially opened its first phase, which includes a four-kilometre highway loop and 200-metre curved tunnel, on schedule in December.

The centre notes that it offers automakers, suppliers, technology companies and others fourseason testing, day and night, in sun, rain, ice and snow, elements it calls the “perfect environment” for testing driverless and connected vehicles before they are deployed on public roads.

Those elements will also be big selling points for a facility that is one of only 10 in the country — several of which are in warm-weather locations — designated by the federal government as a self-driving vehicle proving ground and research hub.

During the centre’s first week, Visteon Corp. used the tunnel and other locations to test its autonomous vehicle driving platform in a white Lincoln MKZ.

Toyota, which was the first automaker to announce financial support for the facility, began an orientation and driver training.

In coming weeks, two additional automakers are scheduled to begin testing, according to centre president and CEO John Maddox.

Maddox said the centre was not only on target with its opening, but is ahead of schedule in its fundraising, with $110 million in funding commitments —$65 million from the state of Michigan and $45 million from private sources.

Fundraising for later phases, including a planned national cybersecurity facility for vehicles and infrastructure, is continuing, he said.

Construction on the second phase, which will include urban intersection and testing areas, is expected to get underway in the spring for completion by the end of next year.

A final phase would include a technology park and headquarters building, which may begin construction in 2018 or 2019.

“We’ve outlined (that) the whole strategy for this facility is to provide a place for companies to do automated vehicle product development right here in Michigan where they do ... their (research and development),” Maddox said.

In addition to providing a spot for driverless vehicle testing, the centre also intends to play a role in fostering voluntary standards for autonomous vehicle testing.

“We are strong supporters of the need for the industry especially to come together to try to think about how we might standardize” test procedures, Maddox said.

That does not reflect a desire to pull back on testing. Maddox said it’s important not to allow testing to limit the technology at this point.

Maddox and others see standardization as a way to create a “catalogue of scenarios” that deployed autonomous vehicles would need to be able to negotiate.