A test track for connected and autonomous vehicles built on the grounds of a dilapidated auto factory in southeastern Michigan has officially opened for business, and perhaps at the perfect time. Operations at the American Center for Mobility (ACM) began just as the winter?s first major snowstorm hit the state. Snow and icy weather present some of the most vexing challenges in preparing self-driving vehicles for widespread use, and the ability to test in poor conditions on a closed track will be welcomed by manufacturers.
Visteon Corporation and the Toyota Research Institute were the first two companies to use the facility. Visteon, a leading supplier of vehicle electronics headquartered in nearby Van Buren Township, tested its autonomous highway functionality amid the snowfall and intends to focus on vetting its driving algorithms and vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology. Toyota engineers began orientation and driver training.
Ford and others are on next week?s schedule. Ford?s upcoming appearance on the track will mark something of a homecoming that?s roughly seven decades in the making?the company constructed the Willow Run factory that first resided on these grounds, using it to build B-24 bombers during World War II. Ford left the plant after the war ended, and General Motors purchased the facility in 1953 and built transmissions in the factory until it shuttered operations in 2010. Since then, a trust created to manage the property and the state?s economic de...