Hyundai Mobis’s test-driving ground for self-driving cars debuted recently at a lot covering 1.12 million sq. meters in the Bio Well-being Special Zone in Buseok-myeon, Seosan City, Chungcheongnam-do.

The car testing ground boasts 14 test tacks, including ones tailored for the research of self-driving car core technologies. The ground also has a main building and four testing buildings. The project broke ground in the first half of 2014 and it was dedicated late last year at a cost of about 300 billion won. The proving ground was opened in June after conducing supplementary works and trial operations.

The research proving facility is expected to help Hyudai Mobis enhance its capabilities to comprehensively certify performances and the quality of automotive parts through the test-driving of real cars. In particular, the ground will likely contribute to raising the competitiveness of new technologies of future automobiles for which global automakers are scrambling to develop. 

The 14 driving testing tracks include a one for advanced cars, a radar testing track, a tunnel testing track, and a circular low friction track. 

The test-driving track for advanced cars is outfitted with a “fake city,” a noise-proof tunnel, a wooded road, bus stops, and guard rails. Core technologies of self-driving cars are experimented and evaluated in an environment to simulate real roads motorists traverse while sitting behind the wheel. Hyundai Mobis plans to build an intelligent traffic system (ITS) environment to develop self-driving systems connected with telecom networks. 

The radar testing track test-operates sensor recognition functions like cameras and radars, key technologies for self-driving cars.

The tunnel testing track is 30 meters wide and 250 meters in length, making it the world’s largest. The track is reserved for testing intelligent head ramps in real car and camera recognition and control functions of the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in a dark environment as well as ramps corresponding to each country’s regulations. The low friction track for circular, wide and uphill roads test-operates such functions as lighting systems, brake safety, vehicle dynamic control in a simulated road environment for winter, rain, snow and an ice-coated road. The research proving ground has an environment to conduct winter experiments year-round.

There are four experiment buildings. The performance testing building is for testing and evaluating performances and the quality of modules and chassis. 

The endurance testing building is to test the endurance of such automotive parts as lighting, brakes and modules. The eco-friendliness testing building is to test-operate the performance and endurance of motors, fuel cell batteries and inverters. The building is equipped with about 380 state-of-the-art testing systems. Yang Seung-wook, head of Hyundai Mobis R&D Division, said, “Advanced new technologies can take on significance only when they guarantee the safety of passengers.” 

Testing automotive parts on the testing ground is essential, he added.