Toyota to Build Driverless Vehicle Test Center in Michigan
Toyota officials say they will create a closed-course test facility in Michigan’s Monroe County to test autonomous vehicles in situations too dangerous to attempt on public roads.
Toyota is increasing its stake in creating autonomous vehicles.
And the Japanese automaker is doing it in Michigan.
Toyota says it filed permits to build a closed-course test track on about 60 acres of an existing proving ground at Ottawa Lake in Monroe County.
The automaker says in a statement the goal is to create “a human driven vehicle that is incapable of causing a crash.”
The new facility will be used to test autonomous vehicles in situations too dangerous for public roads, like driving on a slick surface or a high-speed on-ramp.
Michigan officials including Gov. Rick Snyder have pushed for the state to be at the forefront of developing new vehicle technologies.
They tout the automotive resources already available in the state and even the change of seasons in Michigan, which officials say lets developers test autonomous sensors under a variety of conditions.
