By ATN Editorial Team
Summary: UTAC has announced the construction of a new automotive proving ground in Huainan, Anhui Province, China, developed in partnership with the Huainan City Government. The facility will act as UTAC’s strategic operational base in China and provide advanced testing, inspection and homologation services for the mobility sector. It will include comprehensive vehicle test tracks, purpose-built laboratories for next-generation technologies, a technology park with workshops and offices, and a conference and exhibition centre to support the wider automotive ecosystem.
Key engineering takeaway: The Huainan proving ground will provide full-vehicle validation infrastructure combined with laboratories equipped to test emerging technologies, particularly those associated with new energy vehicles. By offering testing and homologation services aligned with international standards, the facility enables manufacturers to validate performance, safety and compliance in a single integrated location.
Why it matters: Anhui Province is one of China’s largest automotive manufacturing hubs, producing around 3.7 million vehicles annually and hosting major OEMs and suppliers. A large-scale proving ground with international certification capability helps bridge the gap between vehicle development, regulatory approval and export readiness. This strengthens China’s growing new-energy vehicle ecosystem while supporting global compliance for vehicles intended for international markets.
UTAC constructs new proving ground in China
UTAC, a market leader in automotive testing, inspection & certification, announces a major expansion in China with a new proving ground in Huainan, in central Anhui province.
Established in partnership with Huainan City Government, the high-tech proving ground will serve as the strategic operational base for UTAC Group in China and provide advanced testing facilities and expertise for the mobility industry.
UTAC’s experts will deliver testing and homologation services to the latest international standards and regulations, as the group continues to pursue its mission of advancing mobility toward a safer and cleaner future. The new facility will offer comprehensive tracks for vehicle testing, a technology park with workshops and offices for rental and a bespoke conference and exhibition centre. Purpose built laboratories will be equipped with the latest equipment for testing the next generations of technology driven new energy vehicles.
With a population of 70million people, Anhui province has an extensive mobility ecosystem, including leading brands such as BYD, Changan, Chery, JAC, NIO and Volkswagen, along with their associated supply chains. With around 3.7 million vehicles built in 2025, Anhui is China’s leading province for vehicle manufacturing, new‑energy vehicle output, and overall vehicle exports.
Anhui Province is a central hub for the overall mobility industry in China, and the new Huainan proving ground will be a major strategic asset for the UTAC Group.
Commenting on the project, Connor McCormack, CEO of UTAC, said: ” We are extremely proud of our partnership with the city of Huainan, which is undergoing a significant transformation to support the future of the automotive industry. UTAC is delighted to contribute to this transformation and to bring our 100 years of specialist expertise, along with the European standards we have helped shape and validate, to China’s vital automotive sector.”
Commenting on the implementation of the UTAC Huainan project, Mayor Zhang Zhiqiang of Huainan City said: “This represents a significant milestone in Huainan’s efforts to accelerate the development of its intelligent connected vehicle industry. It is of great importance in bridging the critical gap in the regional automotive sector’s industrial chain of ‘testing-production-export’ and establishing a specialized vehicle testing and certification platform with international recognition. The successful cooperation on this project will undoubtedly advance the high-end and intelligent transformation of the regional automotive industry, providing strong impetus for Anhui Province’s efforts to foster a new energy vehicle industrial cluster with international competitiveness.”
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