“Ontario is home to world‑class innovators, and this initiative helps ensure their ideas are developed and deployed right here at home,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, the province’s Minister of Transportation. “Working with OVIN, we’re accelerating the adoption of made‑in‑Ontario technologies that drive economic growth and create good‑paying jobs across the province.”

Through the QEW Innovation Corridor, a portion of the QEW will become a testbed and living lab for emerging transportation and mobility technologies. The program will provide up to C$150,000 (US$110,000) to Ontario-based small and medium enterprises to pilot innovative transportation and advanced mobility solutions, with a focus on electrification, smart mobility, infrastructure and connected vehicle applications. The corridor will facilitate collaborative piloting opportunities and strategic partnerships to support the safe evaluation of advanced technologies.

“Ontario is a global leader in the automotive and mobility sector, cultivating economic growth and supporting homegrown companies while partnering with global leaders to create good-paying jobs,” added Raed Kadri, head of OVIN. “The QEW Innovation Corridor is pivotal in the effort to bring together government and industry to showcase Ontario-made technologies and accelerate the next generation of solutions that will move people and goods.”

Nine Ontario-based companies have been selected through the initial intake to pilot their advanced automotive and mobility technologies in areas such as queue warning systems, work-zone safety, predictive traffic management and in-vehicle traveler information.

“The QEW Innovation Corridor enables Ontario innovators to test and validate new mobility technologies in real-world conditions,” said Dr Claudia Krywiak, president and CEO of the Ontario Centre of Innovation. “By bringing together government, industry and innovators, we are reducing barriers to commercialization and supporting the deployment of made-in-Ontario transportation solutions.”

Technologies and solutions that can be piloted include smart work zones and work zone safety, congestion management technologies, incident response management, predictive traffic management, road hazard warning, in-vehicle traveler information, coordination and dissemination of real-time traveler information, data analytics, cybersecurity and geofencing.

The program will help the Ontario Ministry of Transportation identify and evaluate technologies that improve transportation safety, sustainability, efficiency and accessibility, while providing opportunities to challenge traditional methods of data collection and analysis to best support user-centric and evidence-based decision making.

In related news, Uber launches AV Labs to collect long-tail autonomous vehicle data

The tire’s snow performance was tested by independent bodies Dekra and TÜV, which ranked it first on snow for braking, traction and handling, and awarded it the TÜV Premium Quality Mark. The tire was also stated to have excellent wet performance – it received A-B classification on the European label for wet grip across the entire range.

The tire also boasts acoustic comfort with low rolling noise emissions, confirmed by the B Class rating on the EU noise label, while the tread pattern has been designed for lasting performance and higher mileage compared to the previous generation.

Development

The tire was developed using virtual and simulation techniques. These methods helped balance traditionally conflicting features, such as mileage and aquaplaning resistance — both of which improved compared with previous models. Virtual development reduced the use of physical prototypes, delivering more accurate results while minimizing development times.

The main update is seen in the tread pattern. A central zig-zag channel improves water evacuation, while optimized sipes and Snow Keeper Teeth on the tread blocks trap snow for better snow-on-snow grip, without compromizing wet performance.

The compound draws on the P Zero Winter 2, a high-performance winter tire that has won multiple comparison tests. The Cinturato Winter 3 uses a dual-core polymer with a dual-mode structure that increases grip in different conditions — offering high mobility at low temperatures – and provides snow adhesion without compromising grip on wet or dry surfaces. The compound also delivers strong wear resistance, extending the tire’s overall performance range.

Development also used the virtual compounder, a tool developed by Pirelli that uses generative AI to accelerate the identification of the best material combinations for new compounds, enabling more precise results and maximizing process efficiency.

Tested in summer

While the use of virtual methods has been expanded, physical testing activities have also evolved with new methods and facilities to experiment at different times of the year. In addition to the testing laboratories in Bicocca, the Pirelli Sottozero Centre also played a key role in the development of the new tire. The center, located in Swedish Lapland, conducted R&D department tests on tires on different surfaces, from snow to ice, all year round.

The Cinturato Winter 3 was the first tire to benefit from the center’s most recent indoor facility, which enables replication of winter temperatures, conditions and surfaces even in summer. To ensure maximum effectiveness on specific vehicles, between physical and virtual tests, the tire was tested on over 10 of the most representative car models on the market.

In related news, Nexen Tire selected as OE supplier for Kia EV5 

The Future of Automotive Testing Conference

This day of high-level content will explore various topics and provide an engaging opportunity to learn from and connect with industry peers. Situated among the exhibits, it will have a relaxing atmosphere, and visitors will be able to dip in and out at their leisure. A highlight will be ATTI’s on-stage interview with Jon Quigley, who worked for Volvo for many years and now runs his own company, Value Transformation. With his broad experience and portfolio of contacts, he’s a very good person to know. He loves sharing his thoughts, too, hence his new gig as ATTI’s regular columnist.

Read Quigley’s latest column on p36 of the September issue.

Also during the conference, Venkat Adusumalli, software engineering manager at Stellantis, will reveal how Stellantis is using AI to accelerate E/E system testing and validation workflows. Click here for a pre-show interview with him.

Innovation Showcase

The free-to-attend Innovation Showcase also provides an interactive platform for learning about new technologies. Speakers will welcome questions and discussion after their presentations, making it a great way to explore ideas together. Like the conference, it will take place within the main hall, so it will be very easy to listen in while wandering through the exhibits, or to come and go throughout the day.

Technology debuts

The industry is moving quickly and it can be a challenge to keep up. Every year there is an abundance of new technologies on display. Some are incremental improvements to existing products, others are entirely new. It’s always surprising how companies find ways around bottlenecks. Often, these developments emerge from ongoing conversations between supplier and customer, ultimately benefiting multiple companies.

Read ATTI‘s comprehensive expo preview in the September issue.

Face-to-face discussions  

It sounds obvious, but the most fruitful conversations are usually the ones that happen in person – it’s how journalists find the best stories. Year after year, exhibitors and visitors report having forged unexpected collaborations at the show, in the form of technology tie-ups or service partnerships.

Detroit’s revival 

A lot of money has been plowed into Detroit in recent years, as evidenced by the stunning renovation of Michigan Central Station, which is well worth a visit. Much of the investment has been in the tech sector. Eleven years ago – when the station was still derelict – ATTI took a tour of some of the labs at GM and what was then the FCA headquarters (see The right wave length, November 2014, Seasonal highlights, September 2015, and Powerbase, March 2015). The facilities were impressive then and are even more so now, thanks to several years of investment in innovation leading to Detroit’s resurgence as an automotive powerhouse.

Visit the Automotive Testing Expo North America website to secure your FREE pass, which will give you access to the expo, the Future of Automotive Testing Conference and the Innovation Showcase

A complete country road spanning 135m is authentically recreated. The asphalt mixture used for the road surface was specially developed to replicate the reflective properties of an aged road as closely as possible. Up to five cars can be tested in parallel, and testing includes simulation of oncoming vehicles. Reflector posts can be deployed at the sides of the road in 20m increments, and pedestrian dummies can be flexibly integrated. The investment in the light testing center amounted to €10.5m (US$12.3m), and construction took two years.

Driverless Heide durability circuit

Mercedes-Benz says that Immendingen continues to set new standards across the industry with its high-tech testing facilities and advanced testing methods, including the automated Heide durability circuit. In this test, robots steer test vehicles completely autonomously along a rough-road track. The track’s potholes, bumps and cobblestones strenuously test the chassis and bodies of vehicles.

Automation of this process is designed to increase the precision of driving maneuvers, reduce strain on human test drivers, enable 24/7 operation and significantly accelerate testing.

Mercedes-Benz says that 1km on the Heide durability circuit is equivalent to 150km of real-world driving on an extremely rough road, littered with deep potholes and other imperfections. Depending on the type of vehicle, test cars must complete up to 6,000km on this circuit, which is equivalent to 300,000km of real-world driving. 

Consistent digitalization

The Heide durability circuit also has a digital twin. The proving ground is digitally mapped down to the submillimeter level, and vehicles and loads are digitally mirrored. This data is used in preliminary simulations, serves as load spectra for test benches, and enables test results to be quickly fed back to the development departments.

“The Immendingen Test and Technology Center is the first digitalized Mercedes-Benz proving ground,” said Markus Schäfer, a member of the board of management at Mercedes-Benz Group, and chief technology officer for development and purchasing. “Here, real and virtual vehicle testing merge seamlessly. By digitally mapping the proving ground, using automated test programs and employing state-of-the-art sensor technology, we are making vehicle development more efficient, faster and more sustainable than ever before.”

In related news, from invisible to accountable: measuring global road safety performance

NUIC, also called ‘Driver Out’ operation, will see vehicles in freight, logistics and passenger transportation applications operate with no driver on board. Instead, the vehicles will operate autonomously on agreed routes and areas, with the NUIC vehicles managed by a central Control Room where remote operators can take over manual drive of the vehicle if required. NUIC will open new employment opportunities for people, enabling commercial vehicles to be operated from office-type environments.

AutonoBus project

Fusion is advancing the AutonoBus project, which will see an Alexander Dennis Enviro100AEV operating at SAE Level 4 with no user in charge during controlled track testing. The vehicle will be continuously supervised by a trained safety driver located in a remote-control room, who will be ready to assume control at any moment if required.

The AutonoBus project will see Fusion add capabilities to the vehicle that will enable passengers to see, hear and communicate with the staff in the control room. Blue light (emergency) personnel outside the bus will also be able to interact with control room staff via monitors and microphones, and the vehicle will be able to see and hear blue light vehicles and react appropriately.

Automated vehicle depot trial

The company is also involved in the Transport for London (TfL) live bus depot trial, where Fusion’s CAVstar automated drive system (ADS) will enable automated maneuvers of Alexander Dennis electric buses in complex depot environments. This project is supporting the development of NUIC technology to real-world applications.

Funded by the UK government, the CAM Pathfinder FS competition is delivered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), supported by Zenzic and Innovate UK, and supports 14 projects, including Fusion’s, working to advance connected and autonomous mobility (CAM) technologies. Part of a £150m (US$204m) program, it aims to accelerate commercial CAM opportunities and strengthen the UK supply chain.

Jim Hutchinson, CEO of Fusion Processing, said, “Fusion is at the forefront of making No User In Charge operations a reality. With projects such as the TfL depot trial and the AutonoBus track demonstrations, we are proving that NUIC technology can deliver meaningful safety, efficiency and operational benefits. These milestones move us closer to the day when autonomous buses can operate seamlessly and safely in real-world environments.”

In related news, Pony AI recently partnered with Mowasalat, Qatar’s largest transportation service provider, to deploy autonomous vehicles on the country’s roads

“Using robots to remove the driver from repetitive and often arduous testing has a host of benefits not just for personnel, but also improving the cost and efficiency of testing,” said Jonathan Barry, senior embedded and control software engineer at AB Dynamics. “ClearTrack amplifies these benefits. Our fully integrated active object detection system helps protect valuable prototypes from damage and can enable more vehicles to operate simultaneously on the same track.”

ClearTrack is designed to integrate with AB Dynamics’ driverless solution. Its core component is a high-resolution, solid-state, ultra-long-range (500m) lidar sensor developed for autonomous applications. The system also includes an in-house-developed perception ECU and a roof-mounting assembly. It connects to the driverless vehicle’s controller unit and is operated through the AB Dynamics robot controller software interface.

The solution utilizes robots, software, telemetry and controllers to accurately control a vehicle’s speed and direction. Under normal driving conditions, the solution typically enables vehicles to follow a predetermined path to within 2cm, speed to within 0.5km/h and steering angle to within 0.5 degrees.

The detection system calculates the size, shape, position and direction of obstacles in real time and performs an immediate abort stop to prevent an impact if an obstacle poses a collision risk. ClearTrack can be finely tuned to filter out obstacles that don’t pose a risk of damage to the vehicle, such as low-lying or sparse foliage. Its configurable settings allow the user to control the sensitivity of the system depending on its operational environment. This includes object height filters for test areas that include tunnels or bridges, helping to keep testing efficient without compromising safety.

The solution has been designed for fast and simple deployment and is compatible with almost any vehicle. Capable of test speeds up to 130km/h, it is also built for the demands of durability testing, including rough and uneven terrain. Motion compensation technology corrects the smearing of lidar points when the vehicle is moving.

“ClearTrack allows OEMs to scale their driverless operations safely and efficiently,” Barry continued. “By providing an additional layer of information and enhanced situational awareness, an operator’s workload is significantly reduced. As a result, they can comfortably and safely monitor and control more vehicles.”

In related news, Gatik has launched Arena, its next-generation simulation platform designed to accelerate the development and validation of autonomous vehicle systems. The platform has been developed in collaboration with Nvidia and integrates Nvidia Cosmos World Foundation Models (WFMs)

The facility meets the highest international standards and enables all relevant crash tests for both conventional and electric vehicles. The facility includes a 316m crash track equipped with Messring’s MicroTrack for precise vehicle guidance. It also includes an octagonal film pit, a rollover foundation for rollover testing and a recently developed laterally mobile crash block. An outdoor test block without a film pit has been installed specifically for EV crash testing.

The test setup supports numerous crash scenarios, including frontal and side impact tests following ECE R95 and ECE R34. It incorporates fixed barriers such as an ODB offset barrier, a pole barrier for use with the Flying Floor system. The integrated flying floor and pole barrier enable highly accurate dynamic pole impact testing.

“The new crash test facility for Mahindra marks an important milestone in our collaboration,” said Christian Salm, chief commercial officer at Messring. “It demonstrates our commitment to providing tailor-made, cutting-edge testing solutions to our customers around the world.”

In related news, Toyota Motor North America has begun construction on over US$50m in new facilities for vehicle and automotive technology testing and development at the Arizona Proving Grounds, with most of the work expected to be completed later this year. Read the full story here

The construction includes a 5.5-mile oval track, an off-road park and new ride and handling surfaces, among many other improvements. Toyota is also planning a future facility for the development of advanced driver assistance technology. Formally named the Arizona Mobility Test Center at Toyota Arizona Proving Grounds (AMTC at TAPG), the facility, under Toyota ownership, has been made available to the industry as a vehicle testing resource since 2021.

“The new investment in Arizona signals the facility’s importance to Toyota,” said Stefan Young, vice president at Toyota Motor North America’s Research and Development. “Site updates make it more attractive as an ideal place for companies to test new vehicle capabilities, including by Toyota for our own North American-developed vehicle line-up, thanks to the new and expanded development capabilities.”

AMTC at TAPG has been managed by Intertek Transportation Technologies since 2021. The company will continue to oversee facility administration and rental operations, including marketing to solicit new business and tenant services.

“Again and again, Arizona is proving why businesses move to, stay in, invest in our state,” said Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. “We’re grateful to Toyota for its efforts to bring innovation and opportunity to Arizona. This new investment in our state will spur economic growth and put us at the forefront of auto ingenuity.”

“I’m grateful to Toyota for their investment in Wittmann, Arizona and their commitment to innovation,” said Arizona House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Leo Biasiucci.  “As chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I’m proud that Toyota chose Arizona to call home.”

AMTC at TAPG is located in the Sonoran Desert near Wittmann, Arizona, a town about 60 miles northwest of Phoenix. The facility covers approximately 11,650 acres and has 77 miles of testing surfaces with 60 miles of paved roads, more than 50 miles of off-road and dirt tracks and a high-speed oval track with a second oval track nearing completion. Toyota established the Arizona Proving Grounds in 1993, and it has been home to testing more than 50 Toyota and Lexus vehicles for the North American market since then.

In related news, RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) Proving Ground AstaZero has unveiled what it says is the first 6G, Edge-computing facility to “test the limits of traffic and vehicle communications”

The new AstraZero facility enables the testing of integrated, collaborative vehicle communication systems combining simulations and real-world scenarios. The company states that this new system enables 99.999% connected vehicle system communication reliability.  

Edge computing places processing and data storage closer to the devices generating data. For self-driving cars, this enables real-time responses without relying on distant data centers. Local processing improves bandwidth, latency, energy efficiency, privacy and reliability. 

Achieving 99.999% reliability requires not only tests on the individual sensor but also on integrated and collaborative systems, a task which has been virtually impossible until now. RISE says that this new facility’s communication capability is “a critical step forward in the journey for autonomous vehicles, industrial automation and connected societies, as it allows virtual objects and situations to be tested in scenarios limited solely by the engineer’s imagination and vehicle technology”.  

The new Edge-computing facility enables tests on the connected vehicle and smart city systems that will feature ever more prominently as transportation evolves. New cars for the most part already feature sensors that support drivers (such as emergency breaking, lane keeping, etc) and technology that enables them to receive information about, for example, road or traffic conditions. The next generation of critical communication scenarios such as V2X enables vehicles to share the information from its sensors, cameras and internal systems with other vehicles, nearby pedestrians, road infrastructure and connected city systems. The new AstaZero facility will support the testing and development of these systems. 

The AstaZero test network, featuring Edge computing, will to help optimize traffic flows, reduce congestion, minimize emissions and transform urban mobility into a “smoother, more efficient experience for all”, the company said. It also added that it is the only open and neutral test location in Europe where transportation tests with this level of advanced technology have been made available to any brand, enabling unique and unbiased data testing for all.  

“In the future, communication might not always originate from the sensors on the vehicle itself, but instead from sensors mounted on connected infrastructure or from the sensors of another vehicle. In these types of systems, three key factors are crucial: reliability, ultra-fast communication and intelligent decision-making. However, the bitter truth is that without a global, harmonious and integrated testing approach, there is no guarantee that vehicles and infrastructure will have the capabilities to enable the highest level of safety with complete confidence within this connected ecosystem,” said Peter Janevik, CEO, RISE AstaZero. 

In related news, a recent study has analyzed the latency performance of the LTE PC5 interface in cellular-V2X (C-V2X) technology using a real-world setup with the Anritsu MT1000A multifunction tester. Click here to read the full story

With the launch of this testing center, Nexen plans to intensify performance testing and R&D for winter tires. Rubber hardens at low temperatures, limiting grip, necessitating the use of specialized rubber compounds and customized tread patterns. As a result, rigorous testing in specialized facilities is critical, and the new testing facility serves as a foundation to bolster these efforts.

Nexen has been using the UTAC testing facility in Finland under short-term contracts. However, with rising demand for test site reservations, securing sufficient testing time has become challenging. To address this, the company is building a dedicated testing center, ensuring stable winter testing throughout the season. This expansion extends the winter tire testing period from one month to up to four months. Nexen intends to expand its R&D skills by establishing dedicated test tracks.

Located within UTAC, the center is situated 300km north from the Arctic Circle, offering an ideal environment for testing tire performance under extreme winter conditions. The facility will feature research and development offices, workshops, and snow and ice tracks spanning an area equivalent to 20 football (soccer) fields (approximately 2,000m in length). UTAC will oversee the construction and operation of the center, which is expected to begin full operations in December 2025.

The center will also conduct tests to obtain the 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) label, which is the standard certification for winter tires in Europe. This capability will further enhance Nexen Tire’s competitiveness in the European market. Nexen also operates winter tire testing centers in Taebaek, South Korea, and Wanaka, New Zealand, where tire tests are conducted under various winter conditions throughout the year.

“As winter tire standards are being strengthened in Europe, this investment is a crucial step to secure our technological competitiveness,” said Travis Kang, global CEO of Nexen Tire. “The testing center will not only reduce our development periods but also enhance the performance of our winter tires through core technology research, further solidifying our presence in the European market, which accounts for approximately 40% of our total sales, while laying the groundwork for future growth in global markets.”

“We are delighted to welcome Nexen Tire to have their own establishment at our Finnish proving ground,” said Connor McCormack, CEO of UTAC. “We have a long-lasting partnership now and we are proud to support the development work of Nexen and their participation to leading mobility toward a safer future.”