Ford Weather Factory simulates extreme weather conditions on demand

Altitudes higher than Mont Blanc, the tallest Alpine peak, vehicle and wind speed of up to 250 km/h (155 mph), and snow, glaring sunlight and rain are among conditions that will be simulated at the company's environmental test centre.

As well as making low-lying Cologne, in Germany, the highest point in Western Europe at the push of a button, the multi-million euro facility will be one of the most advanced automotive facilities of its kind. Simulating altitudes of 5,200 metres, the centre will also offer extremes of -40°C, the average winter temperature in eastern Siberia, to +55° C – just 1.7° Celsius below the highest-ever air temperature globally recorded – as well as 95 percent humidity.

“With industry-first features, like the high altitude testing and the ability to simulate heavy snow, this new test facility offers a toolkit that will help us to continue to develop future best-in-class vehicles,” said Joe Bakaj, vice president, product development, Ford of Europe. “This is a significant step forward that will enable Ford to efficiently simulate the most demanding environmental conditions around the globe under repeatable conditions.”

The centre will enable engineers to work on up to nine different vehicles simultaneously, testing comfort, safety and operational capabilities including electrical performance, braking, air conditioning, and pulling heavy loads.

The football pitch sized facility will cover an area of 5,500 square metres, include two climate wind tunnels, a high-altitude lab, and four temperature controlled test chambers, three of which will also facilitate humidity testing. It will also facilitate testing of Ford’s expanded line up of performance cars and sports cars, which includes the Focus RS, Focus ST, and Ford Mustang, in conditions of higher wind speed. And it will be used to test all front-wheel, rear wheel, and all-wheel drive vehicles.

Ford test facilities in Europe also include Ford Lommel Proving Grounds, in Belgium, home to a specific pothole-testing track, side-wind tests, and saltwater and mud baths. Ford claims its vehicles are regularly subjected to as much as 5.5 million km of punishing real-world durability testing, which can include locations as demanding as the Mojave Desert in the U.S., the Arctic Circle, and the Grossglockner High Alpine Pass in Austria.