Across China: Chilly northern city emerges as vehicle-testing hub

HARBIN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Every winter, the streets of Heihe, a border city in China's northernmost Heilongjiang Province, come alive with vehicles bearing distinctive zebra-like stripes, as they are put through their paces on snow and ice.

The test tracks, often situated on the frozen surface of the Heilongjiang River, resemble scenes from an action movie. Car wheels screech on the ice and snow as engineers push the vehicles through rigorous tests of acceleration, sharp turns and braking.

The frigid temperatures in the city of Heihe were once considered a disadvantage, but it is now gaining popularity as the perfect setting for testing and refining automobiles in extreme cold conditions, particularly as China pushes forward with its goal of transitioning to more sustainable, high-quality electric vehicles.

"Each model undergoes a series of tests before it hits the market, and winter in Heihe is an ideal location for testing," said Wang Luyang, testing leader at SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd.

The city is blanketed in snow for around 140 days each year, with freezing temperatures often dropping below minus 20 degrees Celsius.

As a result, an increasing number of testing companies are expanding their operations to meet the rising demand. For example, Heilongjiang Red Valley Automobile Test Co., Ltd., a leading player in the city's automotive testing sector, now operates over 10 cold-weather test bases and collaborates with more than 100 automakers, component manufacturers and research institutes, both domestically and internationally.

Heihe's testing season runs from November to March, attracting a constant influx of engineers and test drivers from around the world. As of early January, 88 vehicle manufacturers had brought 1,823 test vehicles and 2,258 personnel to the city for the last winter testing season.

This influx of personnel has given the region an economic boost. Local farmers, who once faced long, idle winters, now find opportunities at the test sites, helping with equipment maintenance and snow removal.

In addition, the city has beefed up investment in its infrastructure to support the cold-weather testing boom. These include a closed-loop autonomous vehicle testing track, a 3.2-kilometer L4-level smart connectivity test road, and over 570 charging stations.

The city is also embracing cutting-edge technologies to expand its testing capabilities. It is set to break the seasonal limitations on testing with the completion of a four-season low-temperature testing facility and a new solar-powered energy project. The facility, which is expected to be operational by May 2025, will allow for year-round vehicle testing and attract even more global players to the region.

"Heihe is now one of the primary locations for cold-weather automotive testing in China," said Liu Xingming, deputy director of the municipal industry and information technology bureau.

"By investing in infrastructure, enhancing service capabilities, and driving digital transformation, we are committed to fostering the high-quality development of the cold-weather testing industry," Liu added. ■