As an ACM contributor, Toyota will be a member of a government-industry team which supports ACM initiatives to create the large-scale test environment 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.

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

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.

—Jeff Makarewicz, group vice president Safety and Vehicle Performance at TMNA Research & Development Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.

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.

—Gill Pratt, CEO of Toyota Research Institute