Toyota will make its Toyota Arizona Proving Grounds (TAPG), its proprietary U.S. vehicle development and testing facility, available to other OEMs and suppliers as it officially launches the Arizona Mobility Test Center (AMTC) at TAPG.
“TAPG has world-class resources for making ever-better vehicles, and by opening it up to the whole industry for long-term engagements, we believe it can make an even greater impact on advancing mobility for all,” says Randy Stephens, group vice president-Product Performance Engineering at Toyota Motor North America R&D, in a news release.
“This is also an opportunity to create new value with a capital-intensive asset, opening a revenue stream that can be used for continuous improvements on the facility that will further benefit Toyota and tenants,” Stephens adds.
Toyota hired Intertek Transportation Technologies to operate the facility and provide tenant management and related services under a new multi-year agreement, while the Japanese automaker maintains ownership and continues its testing activities at TAPG. Intertek will provide staffing, scheduling, maintenance, security and oversee all testing operations at the site. It will also market AMTC to attract tenants and manage the leasing business.
“It’s an honor to partner with Toyota to oversee the daily operations of AMTC,” says Gavin Campbell, president of Intertek Transportation Technologies. “The automotive industry is going through a revolutionary change right now, and we look forward to assisting all OEMs and Tier Suppliers who are at the forefront of this automotive development by using our expertise in site management and test operations to help get their products to market with precision, pace and passion.”
AMTC will earmark some land for tenants to construct office and garage spaces for their use. Toyota will construct its own new amenities at AMTC, including expanded off-road test facilities and a noise pass-by evaluation course.
The Arizona Mobility Test Center at TAPG sits in the Sonoran Desert near Wittmann, Arizona, about 60 miles northwest of Phoenix. The facility spans 11,650 acres and offers 77 miles of testing surfaces with 25 miles of paved roads, 52 miles of dirt tracks and a high-speed oval.
Toyota has used TAPG to test 50 Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles for the North American market since 1993.
