Mercedes-Benz to Test Its Robocar at Abandoned Naval Base

Mercedes-Benz already has approval from the government of California to test self-driving cars on public roads under certain conditions.

But the automaker has been looking for a place to test its robocars where it can get around those “certain conditions” and have its robocars encounter things that might occur during normal driving but are difficult to replicate given the strictures of the state authorization. Late last week, the company reported that it has found just such a place.

Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America and the Contra Costa (California) Transportation Authority  announced plans to begin testing autonomous vehicles at the Concord Naval Weapons Station in the city of Concord later this month. The partners see the now-shuttered naval base as an ideal site for trying out an array of new transportation technology, including smart infrastructure such as traffic signals that talk with cars. 

The 850-hectare Concord Naval Weapons Station has 31.5 kilometers of paved, citylike roadways that are off limits to the public, making it the largest secure test bed site in the United States.

“We can use the test site in Concord, California, to run simulation tests with self-driving vehicles in a secure way, including specific hazardous situations,” said Axel Gern, head of autonomous driving at Mercedes R&D, in a press release. “Taken in conjunction with the results of our test drives on public roads, these tests will help us with the ongoing development of our autonomous cars.”

Mercedes-Benz has already wowed observers with the self-driving S-Class vehicle that drove without human intervention for the 100 kilometers between Mannheim and Pforzheim, Germany, as it replicated the first ever documented joy ride taken by Bertha Benz. But now the company can try to see just how much danger a robocar can be placed in and manage to reach its destination without a scratch. (This no doubt will include some of the stupid stunts that human “drivers” will dream up in order to see what feats a self-driving car is capable of.)

What’s in it for the local government? “The City of Concord is hopeful that use of the Concord Naval Weapons Station as a test bed hub in the region will attract high-tech jobs to our community and allow new technologies to be tested and researched,” said Tim Grayson, Mayor of the City of Concord, in a press release.