BMW Group currently have three proving grounds each located near Munich (Germany), Miramas (France), and Arjeplog (Sweden). This is in addition to another similar-ish facility at the Hof-Plauen airport in Bavaria, Germany which is under a rental agreement.

And the Group has outgrown them. Now a decision has been made to construct a new proving ground located in Prague, Czech Republic.

The 500-hectare site is just about two and a half hours drive away from the Munich facility and is expected to require an investment to be in the three digit million euro range. It will also be BMW’s first development centre in Eastern Europe with an expected completion early in the next decade.

Once in operation, the new Czech Republic proving ground will concentrate in the development of ground-breaking technologies such as electrification, digitalisation and automated driving.