The Hyundai America Technical Centre (HATCI) is entering into a long-term partnership with the American Centre for Mobility (ACM) to support the advancement of connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology. As one of ACM’s Founder-level sponsors, HATCI will contribute US$5m to support the creation of a collaborative test environment in Southeast Michigan.
Located at the historic Willow Run site in Ypsilanti Township, ACM is creating a proving ground where companies will collaborate to develop CAV and future mobility technologies, as well as work on standards and education programs.
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“Hyundai’s investment supporting ACM strengthens our long-term commitment to the advancement of safety and mobility through automated vehicle technology. Working together with industry, academia and government provides a collaborative environment to support new and innovative mobility solutions,” said Andy Freels, president, HATCI. “We are excited to be a founding member of the government-industry team at the neighbouring ACM facility. As a founding member, we will help set the direction for CAV standards and test advanced technologies in a safe environment for the North American customer.”
The creation of the unique testing environment, located in close proximity to HATCI’s engineering headquarters, will enhance HATCI’s development and validation of advanced driver-assistance systems and CAV technologies. The ACM facility will provide testing under unique and extreme conditions in a repeatable and controlled environment to improve the safety of these systems for the customer. This collaboration will advance safety, connectivity, cybersecurity and autonomous technologies.
Testing emphases will include:
- Sensor technology development
- Vehicle/infrastructure communication
- Specification development for infrastructure scenarios such as: rural, residential, highway, overpasses, off-road, and urban
- Severe test conditions featuring various weather situations
“We have been working closely with Hyundai and are thrilled they have decided to take the next step with this significant investment to further our collaboration,” said John Maddox, president and CEO, ACM. “The Hyundai team has some unique developments they are working on and we are eager to help them achieve their goals.”
“Hyundai’s commitment to ACM is another example of its commitment to Michigan, and is a great addition to the other companies already partnering with the American Centre for Mobility,” said Governor Rick Snyder. “It’s exciting to see the spirit of innovation continue at Willow Run that will help fuel job growth and solidify Michigan as the epicentre of automotive and mobility.”
The contribution from Hyundai brings ACM’s fundraising total to $101m to develop the 500-acre state-of-the-art testing site at Willow Run. The Centre’s first phase of construction is nearing completion and the testing and validation, product development, education and standards facility will open in December.
Hyundai joins other ACM Founders; AT&T, Toyota, and Ford, which announced their support of ACM earlier this year.
The ACM project is a joint initiative with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, State of Michigan, Michigan Department of Transportation, the University of Michigan, Business Leaders for Michigan and Ann Arbor Spark.
