A new test track is being built in Austria and a new test track is also being considered in the USA.
Of course, autonomous driving must first be carried out in demarcated areas checked before going onto the public road. Such test areas can be found in many countries and more and more are being added. Depending on the vehicle, there are also other challenges that need to be checked accordingly. Such test tracks are now also being built in Austria and the USA.
Test track for excavators in Hörsching (Austria) by Wacker Neuson
A test track is planned on the research site for construction vehicles such as excavators and tippers, where these vehicles are also manufactured. The site is located in Hörsching in the district of Gerersdorf. Eight hectares of space will be provided there. Nature conservation measures had to be observed in order for construction to be approved. A noise measuring station and a parkour with curves and inclines will be built by summer. There is also a section that features bad roads and an explicit test area for autonomous driving. source
University of Connecticut Proving Grounds
A vacant portion of the University of Connecticut’s Mansfield campus is set to become the region’s first autonomous vehicle and smart city research facility. The aim is to get jobs in the region and to secure traffic.
The site, which covers around 42.5 hectares, was purchased for five million US dollars and the test track itself is expected to cost between 30 and 40 million US dollars. Networked and autonomous vehicles are to be built there. In the next few months, the Promesa company will examine whether the site is suitable.
After completion, different companies should be able to carry out tests there together with researchers from the university. The test site should allow crash tests and a city should be simulated. Furthermore, for example, country roads and motorways, intersections, roundabouts, parking lots and ramps are simulated.
The training of specialists for working with automated and electric vehicles or the smart city infrastructure should also be guaranteed at the location. The leading persons see a great need, because the cities and communes would already be intelligent infrastructure, like networked traffic lights, in anticipation of new mobility. source