Navistar purchased a 668-acre proving grounds, featuring a three-mile paved and banked oval, the company announced. The new asset, from Robert Bosch LLC, will be used to test and demonstrate Navistar’s full product line of Classes 5-8 vehicles.
“The new Navistar Proving Grounds is a strategic addition to our product development operations and will play an important role in our mission to deliver industry-leading uptime for our customers,” said Bill Kozek, president, Navistar Truck and Parts. “Beyond testing our latest vehicles and innovative technologies, we will also use the site as a customer centre to showcase new products and give customers an opportunity to experience our vehicles first-hand.”
The new proving grounds is located about 90 miles from Navistar’s Lisle, Ill. headquarters.
Navistar will use it for: brake testing; structural durability/accelerated mile accumulation testing, including over multiple road surfaces; and specialized testing, including vehicle noise and handling, centre of gravity, rollover and roof crush testing. It will also be able to evaluate performance on grades of up to sixty per cent.
