Daimler is consolidating its worldwide testing locations into one central location in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, where it will test hybrid and electric vehicles as well as future automated driving and assistance systems (ADAS).
The Test and Technology Center Immendingen will consist of 30 different test stretches on which different driving conditions can be simulated. The center will focus on four strategic areas for future mobility including connected, autonomous, shared and electric vehicles, which Daimler calls CASE.
The goal is not just to bring all the engineering focus under one house, but to also ease traffic congestion and the amount of power being supplied across numerous facilities.
The facility will be able to simulate bad weather conditions, multiple different lanes of traffic, stop-and-go traffic and other traffic situations. While these can also be calculated by computer, end test drives on proper roads are equally as important in terms of discovering any surprises that might be in store for automated vehicles or ADASs.
The facility includes a 100,000 sq m test module for automated driving for both self-driving cars and future driving assistance systems. The area makes it possible to test safety-relevant situations at motorway speeds or merging situations or to test collision prevention functions in crossing traffic. An inner city module is a 1.5 km road with various junctions for testing ADASs, car-to-X communication and automated driving under realistic conditions.
