Chinese automotive group Geely has opened a safety testing facility, with an initial investment of more than 2bn yuan ($284m).

Called the Geely Safety Centre and located in Ningbo, eastern China, the facility is set up to run 27 categories of tests.

Its work covers areas including high-speed crash testing, pedestrian protection, active safety simulations, battery and new energy powertrain safety, cybersecurity, and health-related safety checks.

According to Li Chuanhai, Geely Auto vice president, the site is intended to help the company meet safety requirements linked to intelligent and electrified vehicles (EV), reported Reuters.

He told the news agency that Chinese carmakers expanding overseas may face different forms of regulatory scrutiny.

Li said: "With some high-profile incidents and stricter national regulations (in China), I believe consumers are becoming more aware of safety, which influences their purchasing decisions and guides the industry's development".

The centre spans 45,000m² and includes an 81,930.74m² automotive safety laboratory, a 293.39m indoor crash-test track.

It also has a 28,536.22m² wind tunnel with adjustable altitude and climate simulation (snow, rain and solar radiation) with a maximum wind speed of 250km/h, and a 12,709.29m² crash-test zone allowing vehicle impact angles from 0 to 180°.

Geely said the site also supports assessments linked to human and environmental health.

A “Golden Nose” team will test for volatile materials and odours and check for harmful substances, with the aim of meeting a “zero harmful gas/odour” standard.

The company is working with organisations including CATARC and Tsinghua University on a joint white paper focused on intelligent vehicle safety.

Geely said it has invested more than 250bn yuan in R&D over the past 10 years, with safety among its priorities.