Proving Ground​​​​​​​​​​​​​​


On-Site Proving Ground for Autonomous Driving, Functional & Endurance Testing


The proving ground in St. Valentin / Austria with its area of 40 ha has an optimal design for the testing of commercial vehicles and passenger cars. It provides a paved road with 850 m, rough roads and up to 7 km unpaved dirt road tracks with varying ascending slopes.

Our deep understanding about the definition of test collectives that reflect the required vehicle durability in real life in connection with the immediate availability of the proving ground, are the key advantages for customers during the development.

Heavy terrain, slopes with gradients up to 60%, a fording basin with a depth up to 1.8 m and special obstacles qualify this test track also for testing of off-road-, construction- or military vehicles. In addition free field- and ISO-noise measurements as well as test stands for cooling measurements are available .

Pop up images if the viewer click the small red circle

Rain Simulation 82m x 10,5m

Testing of Modern and Driverless Vehicle Technologies under Adverse Weather Conditions

  • Length: 82m x 10,5 m
  • Natural rain generation
  • Control of drop distribution, drop size and quantity

U-Turn Intersection

  • Arch radius: 55 m
  • Controlledroadintersectionwith 4 intersectionarms  (2022) (C-IST, Traffic Light Control)
  • Uncontrolledroadintersectionwith 3 intersectionarms
  • Traffic sign and roadsurfacemarking

U-Turn Bad Road

Corner Radius 55m

  • Arch radius: 55 m
  • Controlled road intersection with 4 intersection arms (2022)
    • (C-IST, Traffic Light Control)
  • Uncontrolled road intersection with 3 intersection arms
  • Traffic sign and road surface marking

6 Traffic Lanes

  • 350 m x 20,8 m 
  • 6 lanes
  • Highly digitized infrastructure: C-ITS and 5G network coverage
  • Infrastructure equipment for various ISAD levels
  • Possible tests
    • Lane change
    • Roadway rejuvenation
    • Merge into trafic
    • Reeving
    • Shearing out
    • Overtake
    • Highway exit and entrance
    • Column traffic
    • Obstacle detection

Rough Concrete Road

Fatigue durability

  • Standard loop: 4,2 km of rough-road, off-road tracks & syntactical obstacles
  • Customized extension up to 7,2 km possible

Based by long time experience

  • 300 hours lifetime testing for construction trucks & SUV’s
  • 500 hourslifetimetesting for off-road trucks, off-road-cars & SUV’s
  • 850 hourslifetime testing for off-road trucks & off-road cars (heavy use in the market)

Gravel Pit NE with Slops

  • Customized drives and mobility trails
  • Winch and salvage testing with different slopes

Intersection with Traffic Lights

  • Arch radius: 55 m
  • Controlled road intersection with 4 intersection arms (C-ITS Traffic Light Control)
  • Uncontrolled road intersection with 3 intersection arms
  • Traffic sign and road surface marking
Different street intersection can be tested and the asphalt is marked with different roadmarks

Gravel Pit SW

  • Customized drives and mobility trails
  • Winch and salvage testing with different slopes

Outside Noise Surface

  • DIN ISO 362-1
  • DIN ISO 10844:2014
  • Power supply 220V/50Hz

Sinus Natural Track

Smart Street Lightning

  • LED street lights with up to 72 LEDs for extremely wide streets
  • Length: 320 m on the straight lane
  • Roundabout cross inside square
  • Luminous flux: 15.597 lm
  • Luminous efficiency: 147,1 lm / W
  • Lighting for EURO NCAP tests
  • Roundabout with 4 junctions (width 7 m)
  • Different confluence angles
  • Inside diameter: 48 m
  • Two lanes each 5 m
  • Equipped with 5 State-of-the-art LED Street Lights
Beside on one side of the proving ground smart street lights are available and illuminating the track

Roundabout

  • Roundabout with 4 junctions (width 7 m)
  • Different confluence angles
  • Inside diameter: 48 m
  • Outside diameter: 97m

Torsional Obstacles 150mm

150 mm (26 pieces)

Test item

  • Durability frame, chassis and cab suspension

88 m Circuit

  • Roundabout with 4 junctions (width 7 m)
  • Different confluence angles
  • Inside diameter 48 m
  • Outside diameter 97m

Twist Track

  • Torsional obstacles medium-duty
    300 mm (46 pieces)​​​​​​​
  • Torsion obstacles heavy-duty
    ​​​​​​​400 mm (34 pieces)
  • Test item
    • Durability of frame twisting

10" and 8" obstacles

  • Single steel obstacles with 200 mm and 250 mm
  • Mounted to concrete surface
  • Axle load up to 16 t

​​​​​​​Test Item

  • Single maximum load cases
  • Function test (vertical impact to driver seat)

Concrete Slope 60%

  • Limited to 10 t axle load
  • Length 15 m; width 4 m, with side barriers

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Test item:

  • Vehicle function

10 Synthetic Pot Holes

10 pothole pairs 3000 mm from pothole to pothole longitudinally

Test item

  • Function and durability

eCharger

  • 1 ABB mobile charging station 64 A
  • 1 ABB stationary charging station
  • 1 wallbox mobile
  • 2 plugs 32 A
  • 2 plugs 16 A

Inspection Building

  • For inspection over the period of the durability test
  • Equipped with driver room, meeting room, restroom and a 35 t inspection ramp

NVH & Thermal Test Bench

Test item

  • Thermal analyses under static running condition
  • Agricultural tractor PTO analyses
  • NVH & drive train vibration

Objects

  • Trucks
  • Off-highway vehicles
  • Agricultural tractors
  • Construction machines

Spec of test rig

  • 1.909 Nm
  • 450 kW
  • 5.500 Rpm

Muddy Track

  • Realistic environmental impact testing
  • Leak testing for drivetrain

Concrete Slope 40%

Length 40% 15 m; width 5 m

Test item 

  • Function of drive train and difflock durability
A truck is passing the 40% concrete slope

Fording up to 1.8 m (NATO)

Depth variable from 0 – 1800 mm in 200 mm steps

Test items

  • Fording function
  • Internal/external leakage durability for tightness

City Zone / Hub Zone

  • Up to 2700 m² of maneuvering areas and loading and unloading zones
  • Adjustable ramps
  • Smart entrance gate
  • Testing of automated logistics activities
  • Loading and unloading of trucks and delivery vans
    • City traffic zone with 250 m network of paths
    • Simulation of buildings with dummies
    • Different banquets
    • Footpaths and bike paths
    • Floor markings and traffic signs

Loading Station / Introduct Loading / Office & Storage

Test items

  • Thermal analyses under static running condition
  • Agricultural tractor PTO analyses
  • NVH & drive train vibration​​​​​​​

Objects

  • Trucks
  • Off-highway vehicles
  • Agricultural tractors
  • Construction machines

Spec of test rig

  • 1.909 Nm
  • 450 kW
  • 5.500 Rpm 
Birdview of the inspection, Office building and the slideable hall

Testing of Modern and Driverless Vehicle Technologies under Adverse Weather Conditions

  • Length: 82m x 10,5 m
  • Natural rain generation
  • Control of drop distribution, drop size and quantity
  • Arch radius: 55 m
  • Controlledroadintersectionwith 4 intersectionarms  (2022) (C-IST, Traffic Light Control)
  • Uncontrolledroadintersectionwith 3 intersectionarms
  • Traffic sign and roadsurfacemarking
  • Arch radius: 55 m
  • Controlled road intersection with 4 intersection arms (2022)
    • (C-IST, Traffic Light Control)
  • Uncontrolled road intersection with 3 intersection arms
  • Traffic sign and road surface marking
  • 350 m x 20,8 m 
  • 6 lanes
  • Highly digitized infrastructure: C-ITS and 5G network coverage
  • Infrastructure equipment for various ISAD levels
  • Possible tests
    • Lane change
    • Roadway rejuvenation
    • Merge into trafic
    • Reeving
    • Shearing out
    • Overtake
    • Highway exit and entrance
    • Column traffic
    • Obstacle detection

Fatigue durability

  • Standard loop: 4,2 km of rough-road, off-road tracks & syntactical obstacles
  • Customized extension up to 7,2 km possible

Based by long time experience

  • 300 hours lifetime testing for construction trucks & SUV’s
  • 500 hourslifetimetesting for off-road trucks, off-road-cars & SUV’s
  • 850 hourslifetime testing for off-road trucks & off-road cars (heavy use in the market)
  • Customized drives and mobility trails
  • Winch and salvage testing with different slopes
  • Arch radius: 55 m
  • Controlled road intersection with 4 intersection arms (C-ITS Traffic Light Control)
  • Uncontrolled road intersection with 3 intersection arms
  • Traffic sign and road surface marking
Different street intersection can be tested and the asphalt is marked with different roadmarks
  • Customized drives and mobility trails
  • Winch and salvage testing with different slopes
  • DIN ISO 362-1
  • DIN ISO 10844:2014
  • Power supply 220V/50Hz
  • LED street lights with up to 72 LEDs for extremely wide streets
  • Length: 320 m on the straight lane
  • Roundabout cross inside square
  • Luminous flux: 15.597 lm
  • Luminous efficiency: 147,1 lm / W
  • Lighting for EURO NCAP tests
  • Roundabout with 4 junctions (width 7 m)
  • Different confluence angles
  • Inside diameter: 48 m
  • Two lanes each 5 m
  • Equipped with 5 State-of-the-art LED Street Lights
Beside on one side of the proving ground smart street lights are available and illuminating the track
  • Roundabout with 4 junctions (width 7 m)
  • Different confluence angles
  • Inside diameter: 48 m
  • Outside diameter: 97m

150 mm (26 pieces)

Test item

  • Durability frame, chassis and cab suspension
  • Roundabout with 4 junctions (width 7 m)
  • Different confluence angles
  • Inside diameter 48 m
  • Outside diameter 97m
  • Torsional obstacles medium-duty
    300 mm (46 pieces)​​​​​​​
  • Torsion obstacles heavy-duty
    ​​​​​​​400 mm (34 pieces)
  • Test item
    • Durability of frame twisting
  • Single steel obstacles with 200 mm and 250 mm
  • Mounted to concrete surface
  • Axle load up to 16 t

​​​​​​​Test Item

  • Single maximum load cases
  • Function test (vertical impact to driver seat)
  • Limited to 10 t axle load
  • Length 15 m; width 4 m, with side barriers

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Test item:

  • Vehicle function

10 pothole pairs 3000 mm from pothole to pothole longitudinally

Test item

  • Function and durability
  • 1 ABB mobile charging station 64 A
  • 1 ABB stationary charging station
  • 1 wallbox mobile
  • 2 plugs 32 A
  • 2 plugs 16 A
  • For inspection over the period of the durability test
  • Equipped with driver room, meeting room, restroom and a 35 t inspection ramp

Test item

  • Thermal analyses under static running condition
  • Agricultural tractor PTO analyses
  • NVH & drive train vibration

Objects

  • Trucks
  • Off-highway vehicles
  • Agricultural tractors
  • Construction machines

Spec of test rig

  • 1.909 Nm
  • 450 kW
  • 5.500 Rpm
  • Realistic environmental impact testing
  • Leak testing for drivetrain

Length 40% 15 m; width 5 m

Test item 

  • Function of drive train and difflock durability
A truck is passing the 40% concrete slope

Depth variable from 0 – 1800 mm in 200 mm steps

Test items

  • Fording function
  • Internal/external leakage durability for tightness
  • Up to 2700 m² of maneuvering areas and loading and unloading zones
  • Adjustable ramps
  • Smart entrance gate
  • Testing of automated logistics activities
  • Loading and unloading of trucks and delivery vans
    • City traffic zone with 250 m network of paths
    • Simulation of buildings with dummies
    • Different banquets
    • Footpaths and bike paths
    • Floor markings and traffic signs

Test items

  • Thermal analyses under static running condition
  • Agricultural tractor PTO analyses
  • NVH & drive train vibration​​​​​​​

Objects

  • Trucks
  • Off-highway vehicles
  • Agricultural tractors
  • Construction machines

Spec of test rig

  • 1.909 Nm
  • 450 kW
  • 5.500 Rpm 
Birdview of the inspection, Office building and the slideable hall

ECS Proving Ground Capabilities

Find more detailed information about our test track capabilities

Durability test for external customers according to existing contracts, validation / verification

Functional tests for internal / external customer

Fatigue durability

  • Standard loop: 4,2 km of rough-road, off-road tracks & syntactical obstacles
  • Customized extension up to 7,2 km possible

Based by long time experience

  • 300 hours lifetime testing for construction trucks & SUV’s
  • 500 hourslifetimetesting for off-road trucks, off-road-cars & SUV’s
  • 850 hourslifetime testing for off-road trucks & off-road cars (heavy use in the Market)
  • Longitudinal and lateral dynamics for PC and CV (up to 0,3 g lateral acc.)
  • Pass by noise according ISO
  • Comfort evaluation
  • Constant steering
  • Vehicle functions

Test items

  • Thermal analyses under static running condition
  • Agricultural tractor PTO analyses
  • NVH & drive train vibration

Objects

  • Trucks
  • Off-highway vehicles
  • Agricultural tractors
  • Construction machines

Spec of test rig

  • 1.909 Nm
  • 450 kW
  • 5.500 Rpm
  • For inspection over the period of the durability test
  • Equipped with driver room, meeting room, restroom and a 35 t inspection ramp
  • 1 ABB mobile charging station 64A 
  • 1 ABB stationary charging station
  • 1 wallbox mobile
  • 2 plugs 32A 
  • 2 plugs 16A
  • 8 cylinders with stepless adjustable heights
    • 4 cylinders up to 800 mm
    • 4 cylinders up to 1200 mm
  • Maximum axle load 20 t
  • Maximum cyl. force up to 20 t
  • Minimum wheelbase 1450 mm
  • Minimum inner wheel distance 1030 mm
  • Testbad 10.0 m x 3.0 m
  • Exhaust suction system available
  • Portable wheelloadscales

Additional information

Weather conditions at proving ground St.Valentin​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​