Ford Plans $200 Million Wind Tunnel Complex

Ford Motor Co. is investing $200 million to build a wind tunnel and climatic chamber facility in Allen Park, Mich.

The carmaker will break ground on the project this year and plans to complete construction by the end of 2019. Ford says it will use the new complex, which will be built on 13 acres next to Ford’s existing Driveability Test Facility, to help improve the aerodynamics, fuel efficiency and performance of future vehicles.

The wind tunnel will feature a five-belt conveyor system—one for each wheel and a larger one that runs under the center of a vehicle as its being tested—that can replicate real-world drag via a rolling road with airflow around the vehicle at speeds as high as 155 mph. An overhead crane can convert the facility to a single-belt system that can simulate speeds as high as 200 mph to test high-performance models and race cars.

Ford says the wind tunnel chambers will be able to accommodate large frame vehicles such as its Super Duty pickup truck. The climatic chamber will be able to generate temperatures as low as -40°F and as high as 140°F.