Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has announced their intent to support the American Center for Mobility (ACM) as a founder-level sponsor with a $5 million (Rs 18 crore) contribution.

As an ACM contributor, Toyota will be a member of a government-industry team which supports ACM initiatives to create a large-scale test environment in Southeast Michigan where various companies can test their Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) technologies.  Toyota believes the creation of this unique test environment will help support the development acceleration of innovative CAV technologies, because it allows technologies testing under a safe and controlled environment.

The Japanese carmaker believes this initiative will foster further innovation through collaboration with government and academic partners. It also hopes that ACM serves as a catalyst for safer and more efficient transportation solutions with vehicles equipped with advanced CAV technologies.  

Jeff Makarewicz, group vice president Safety and Vehicle Performance at TMNA Research & Development Center in Ann Arbor, Mich, said “We are excited to be the first automaker joining this effort to create a test ground for advanced vehicle technologies in our backyard. Together with industry and government partners, we would like to set a direction to realize connected and automated vehicles to help improve safety and mobility.”

Gill Pratt, CEO of Toyota Research Institute, said “As we move forward with the development of autonomous cars, we must remember that not all test miles are created equal. The road to creating a car as safe, or safer, than a human driver will require billions of test miles including simulation, real-world driving on public roads, and closed-course testing where we can expose our systems to extreme circumstances and conditions. The new ACM closed-course facility is a significant step forward in this journey and will accelerate our ability to help prevent crashes and save lives." 

Governor Rick Snyder, said “"Thanks to Toyota’s collaboration with ACM, Michigan can continue to maintain its momentum as a global leader in the ever-expanding transition from being the automotive capital to being the mobility capital.”