(Handout via Xinhua Daily)

The Yangtze River Delta (Yancheng) Intelligent Connected Vehicle Proving Ground commenced operation on July 16, becoming China’s first comprehensive testing center for self-driving vehicles in a purpose-built enclosed environment.

The test site, with a total investment of 1.5 billion yuan, was jointly funded by China Automotive Technology & Research Center (CATARC) and Yueda Group. Spanning approximately 266 hectares, it includes eight roads dedicated to intelligent connected vehicle testing, a 32,000 square meter laboratory, and an energy hub to supply gasoline, electricity, hydrogen and methanol.

The center also boasts the world’s first tunnel within a vehicle proving site. The tunnel is 840 meters long, reaches 13 meters underground, and features a S-curve of 350 meters. It enables vehicle testing in conditions where GPS and network signals are blocked.

This project, which took three years to complete, represents a world-leading commercial vehicle testing site and accommodates testing for flying cars and low-altitude aircraft.

In recent years, Yueda Group has vigorously developed the new energy vehicle and core component sectors, offering greener and smarter solutions to transform the automotive industry. Meanwhile, CATARC boasts the advantages of comprehensive test sites for intelligent connected vehicles.