Mercedes-Benz unveils new light testing centre in Immendingen

Mercedes-Benz has inaugurated a new light testing centre in Immendingen, enabling reproducible headlight testing and digital simulations under controlled conditions.

Mercedes-Benz has inaugurated a new light testing centre at its Global Proving Ground in Immendingen, describing it as the most advanced facility of its kind in the automotive industry. The structure, measuring 135 metres in length and eight metres in height, enables headlight systems to be tested under fully controlled and reproducible conditions, unaffected by weather, daylight or external factors. Inside, an authentic country road has been recreated with asphalt designed to mimic the reflective properties of aged pavement. Up to five vehicles can be tested simultaneously, with oncoming traffic and pedestrian dummies integrated into scenarios. The investment amounted to 10.5 million euros, with a construction time of two years.

This centre expands the capabilities of Immendingen, which over the past decade has developed into a major Mercedes-Benz testing hub. More than 30 modules, stretching across 86 kilometres of road on 520 hectares, allow engineers to replicate conditions from city intersections to mountain passes and cobblestones. Many scenarios mirror traffic and markings from Europe, the USA, China or Japan. Today, up to 80 percent of tests that once took place on public roads are conducted here.

Automation is a central feature of the site. The so-called Heide durability circuit, named after a notorious rough road in the Lüneburg Heath used in the 1950s, challenges cars with potholes, cobblestones and bumps. Driving robots now handle these tests entirely autonomously, running vehicles for up to 6,000 kilometres – equivalent to about 300,000 kilometres of real-world driving on extremely poor roads. This method ensures precision, reduces strain on human drivers and enables 24/7 testing.

Every module at Immendingen also exists as a “digital twin.” The proving ground is mapped with sub-millimetre precision, allowing thousands of kilometres to be simulated virtually before a single prototype hits the road. This accelerates development cycles and helps engineers filter out the most promising solutions for physical testing. The seamless integration of real and virtual testing has become a defining feature of the site.

Environmental measures are equally noteworthy. Sheep maintain the open landscapes by grazing, preventing shrubs from overrunning the grasslands, while llamas guard the flocks against predators. The proving ground also includes compensation areas that support endangered species and biodiversity.

Since the groundbreaking in 2015, Mercedes-Benz has invested more than 200 million euros in the construction of the site, with an additional 200 million euros allocated to its expansion. In that time, around 30,000 test vehicles have accumulated over 100 million kilometres. During peak periods, up to 2,100 employees from other company locations work on-site alongside the permanent staff of 250.

The launch of the new light testing centre underlines Mercedes-Benz’s strategy of combining advanced engineering with sustainability. It provides a setting where real-world complexity can be reproduced with precision, ensuring safer and more reliable vehicle development.