Chinese fighter jets reportedly fly upside down, right above a US Air Force plane

Chinese fighter jets have reportedly flown in an "unprofessional" manner near a US Air Force...

Daimler Unveils New Oregon Proving Grounds

Photos: John G. Smith

MADRAS, Ore. – Daimler Trucks North America has officially opened its High Desert Proving Grounds, representing a $18.7-million investment that will put the company's trucks through their paces – including connected, platooning and autonomous vehicles of the future.

“Every mile on the track is equivalent of 200 miles on some normal road,” explains Wilfried Achenbach, senior vice president – engineering and technology. Freightliner designs its trucks to last 1.2 million miles, so this track can replicate that level of wear in just 6,000 miles.

“The entire track has 3.5 miles and covers multiple maneuvers,” he says. “It replicates most of any road surface you can find around the world.”

Work to clear the 87 acres of land began in June 2015, while construction launched in May 2016. Now there are nine test lanes overall, as well as a 32,000-square-foot facility with 14 service bays, and several video monitors connect teams to Portland and beyond.

“The opening of this facility will ensure the future reliability of our products, as well as expedite future technologies that enhance our customers' bottom line,” said Roger Nielsen, president and chief executive officer.

It represents a new way for Daimler engineering teams to share information, too. The site is far closer to the company's Portland headquarters than an Indiana track that Daimler had been leasing from Navistar. These proving grounds won't be open to any other Original Equipment Manufacturers, but future tests could include selected suppliers, Nielsen says.

The 120-mile trip between Portland and Madras itself will itself be part of ongoing validation tests including portions of interstate, rural roads, and mountainous terrain through the Mount Hood pass, the company notes. For example, the route was used to validate the potential gains through truck platooning.

And many members of the Portland team will now be making regular trips over the ...Read the rest of this story

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Daimler unveils new proving grounds

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