Automaker Toyota has broken ground on more than $50 million in construction of new amenities at its Valley facility north of Surprise.
The company said construction to the Arizona Proving Grounds near Wittman includes a 5.5-mile oval track, an off-road park and new ride and handling surfaces. Most of it is expected to be completed later this year.
The facility currently covers about 11,650 acres and has 77 miles of testing surfaces with 60 miles of paved roads, more than 50 miles of off-road and dirt tracks and a high-speed oval track.
Toyota is plans a future facility for development of advanced driver assistance technology.
“The new investment in Arizona signals the facility’s importance to Toyota,” said Stefan Young, vice president at Toyota Motor North America’s Research and Development, in a news release. “Site updates make it more attractive as an ideal place for companies to test new vehicle capabilities, including by Toyota for our own North American-developed vehicle lineup, thanks to the new and expanded development capabilities.”
The Arizona Proving Grounds, which used to be named the Arizona Mobility Test Center, has been available to the industry as a vehicle testing resource since 2021. Toyota initially created it in 1993, and it has been home to testing more than 50 Toyota and Lexus vehicles for the North American market since then.
“Again and again, Arizona is proving why businesses move to, stay in, invest in our state,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said. “We’re grateful to Toyota for its efforts to bring innovation and opportunity to Arizona. This new investment in our state will spur economic growth and put us at the forefront of auto ingenuity.”
Intertek Transportation Technologies has managed the facility since 2021 under an agreement. The company oversees facility administration, rental operation, including marketing to solicit new business and tenant services.
Since offering the facility to outside companies, the Proving Grounds have hosted 37 different organizations, resulting in 286 test vehicles that have conducted about 203,400 hours of testing.
“I’m proud that Toyota chose Arizona to call home,” said Arizona House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Leo Biasiucci.
