The GM Milford Proving Ground in southeastern Michigan is officially 100 years old, first opening on September 25th, 1924 under the guidance of GM President Alfred P. Sloan. In the time since, the Milford Proving Ground has served as The General’s testbed for a wide range of vehicle technologies, from performance, to safety, to alternative fuels, and more recently, autonomous driving. Now, GM is serving up a variety of interesting facts and figures about this renowned facility.
The land on which the Milford Proving Ground is situated was purchased in 1923 for a little over $100,000, with the original facility encompassing two buildings, 5.5 miles of roads, and 1,125 acres. The land also includes 267 feet of elevation change, which is something of a rarity for southeast Michigan.
The facility has expanded considerably over the years, and now includes almost 150 miles of road (131 miles paved and 16 miles of gravel), with GM logging over 15 million development and testing miles annually. The facility is run by more than 4,200 employees, and includes an electrical substation, wastewater treatment, Fire and EMS staff, and on-site medical station.
Testing environments vary widely, and can include simulated temperatures between -40 degrees Fahrenheit up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, altitudes between -700 feet to 12,500 feet, humidity between 10 percent and 90 percent, and wind speeds between 0 and 100 mph.
Performance vehicles are tested on the Milford Road Course, a 2.9-mile racetrack made up of 17 corners and a long straight for speeds over 150 mph. GM modeled the road course to emulate famous racetracks from around the world.
The Milford Proving Ground was also the site for the development of a wide variety of safety features, hosting the first vehicle rollover tests in 1934, as well as the development of the first guardrails. GM also developed the “infant love seat” at Milford, which was used as a model for future child car seats…