Hyundai Motor Group recently commemorated two decades of groundbreaking vehicle testing at its California Proving Ground (CPG) in California City, California. The $80 million facility, established in 2005, has been instrumental in enhancing the quality, durability, reliability, and safety of more than 5,000 Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Genesis vehicles through rigorous performance evaluations.
A Legacy of Innovation and Progress
Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group, highlighted the facility’s pivotal role in Hyundai’s success over the past 20 years:
“The Hyundai Motor Group has made exceptional progress over the past 20 years, thanks in part to our California Proving Ground and the outstanding work of our team there. As we look to the future, we must focus on pioneering technologies such as AI, robotics, Software Defined Vehicles, electrification, and hydrogen technology. Facilities like the California Proving Ground will be critical to that innovation and will help shape the next 20 years of Hyundai Motor Group, turning challenges into opportunities and setbacks into successes.”
State-of-the-Art Testing Facilities
Strategically located in the Mojave Desert, the 4,500-acre proving ground serves as Hyundai Motor Group’s primary North American vehicle testing site. The facility boasts:
- A 6.4-mile oval track for high-speed testing
- A 2-million-square-foot Vehicle Dynamics Area (VDA)
- A 2.75-mile winding road track
- A 3.3-mile hill road for incline testing
- Various off-road loops and highway-replicating surfaces
Comprehensive Vehicle Testing and Development
The California Proving Ground plays a vital role in full vehicle evaluation, durability assessments, and development testing. Engineers conduct:
- Ride and handling evaluations
- Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) tests
- Heat protection assessments
- UV degradation studies in a dedicated material-weathering facility
A Network of Cutting-Edge Facilities
The CPG is just one of many Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. facilities dedicated to innovation across the United States. Other key locations include:
- HATCI HQ (Superior Township, MI) – A 220,000-square-foot engineering and technology hub
- Chino Lab (Chino, CA) – A specialized research facility focused on powertrain performance tuning and eco vehicle development
- Hyundai America Design & Engineering Center (Irvine, CA) – A 90,000-square-foot center equipped with advanced visualization and modeling technologies
- North America Quality Center – NAQC (Chino, CA) – A facility dedicated to quality assurance, prototype benchmarking, and pre-production durability testing
- CRADLE (Silicon Valley, CA) – Hyundai’s innovation hub for mobility, electrification, connectivity, and robotics
Hyundai Motor Group’s Ongoing Commitment to the U.S. Market
Since 2002, Hyundai Motor Group has invested over $20.5 billion in the United States, employing more than 570,000 people either directly or indirectly. As the company continues to explore advancements in electrification, AI, and robotics, facilities like the California Proving Ground will remain at the forefront of automotive innovation.