A Swedish test facility for Complete Vehicle Testing
Welcome to Volvo Cars Hällered Proving Ground
Hällered Proving Ground is owned by Volvo Cars and is an extensive vehicle testing facility located just north of Borås, about 80 kilometers from Gothenburg. Surrounded by dense and beautiful forest, the area initially gives a calm and peaceful impression. But the deeper you venture into the woods, the atmosphere changes — soon you encounter the test track known as “Car Hell.” This is Hällered!
About Hällered
Hällered Proving Ground was built in 1973, and since then advanced vehicle testing has been carried out across the 700 hectare facility. Testing is a vital part of Volvo Cars’ development work. Key attributes such as durability, comfort, performance, reliability, and safety are continuously evaluated on our test tracks. Systems and components tested include powertrain, chassis, steering, active safety functions, cooling systems, suspension, shock absorbers, and tyres.
19 test track divided at 700 hectares
There are 19 bookable test tracks on site, all designed to ensure maximum driver safety and deliver highly reliable test results. In addition to the tracks, the facility includes several laboratories where testing and analysis are performed. These include a measurement platform equipped with precision instruments, facilities for reference and water testing related to seal evaluations, a fueling test chamber, heat-testing rooms, as well as salt spray and climate chambers and test rigs.
High Speed Track
The 6,200-meter high-speed track, with velodrome-style curves, enables testing for functions, reliability, performance, and durability at speeds up to 200 km/h without lateral force impact. It has a 1% slope on straights, increasing to 74% in curves, and features a water trench alongside its four 16-meter-wide lanes.
Gravel road
This track is used for durability, reliability and function tests. It is specially prepared with the type of gravel used on roads. The track is approximately 1,500 meters long and 6 meters wide.
Country road track
The 5,000-meter track tests active safety systems, featuring bends and hills modeled after roads in Sweden, the USA, and England. It offers varied asphalt surfaces and includes features like American concrete highways, manhole covers, and bridge sections, allowing for comprehensive noise testing both inside and outside vehicles.
Low Friction & Handling Area
This 500-meter track is designed for testing steering and driving characteristics of cars and heavy vehicles. It features a standard asphalt surface, with a 3.5-meter-wide, 500-meter-long section of noise-generating asphalt on the right side. The overall handling area is 60 meters wide.
Skidpad
The Skidpad is used for tests involving strong lateral forces. It consists of a circular asphalt surface with drainage with two entry tracks. Skidpad is 100 meters in diameter. It has a gradient of 0.5% with the lowest point at the centre. In applicable cases, it is also used to test range.
Durability track
The 2,600-meter durability track tests the reliability and durability of body and chassis components. Featuring a variety of surfaces like Belgian cobblestone, grooves, potholes, bumps, and trenches filled with mud and water, it induces high stress and accelerated wear, allowing for efficient, short-term testing. A circular cobblestone section is also included for intensive evaluation.
Explore exciting career opportunities at Volvo Cars Hällered today.
Approximately 250 Volvo Cars employees work at Hällered, including engineers, technicians, mechanics, and test drivers. We perform objective testing and driving based on customer needs, covering areas such as active safety, function verification and reliability validation, vehicle dynamics, and ground clearance evaluations. The site also has its own Rescue Team, as well as a dedicated Maintenance & Support organization that provides services for the entire facility. Explore exciting career opportunities at Volvo Cars Hällered today.