A Swedish test facility for complete vehicle testing.
Volvo Cars Hällered is our world-class testing facility located in Sweden´s scenic forest where the future of mobility is being shaped.
Explore exciting career opportunities at Volvo Cars Hällered today.
Go behind the scenes of Volvo Hällered Proving Ground.
Built in 1973, Hällered Proving Ground is vital to Volvo Cars, located 80 km from Gothenburg. It continually tests durability, comfort, performance, and reliability across systems such as powertrain, chassis, steering, active safety, cooling, suspension, shock absorbers, and tires.
The 6,200-meter high-speed track, with velodrome-style curves, enables testing for functions, reliability, performance, and durability at speeds up to 200 km/h without lateral force impact. It has a 1% slope on straights, increasing to 74% in curves, and features a water trench alongside its four 16-meter-wide lanes.
This track is used for durability, reliability and function tests. It is specially prepared with the type of gravel used on roads. The track is approximately 1,500 meters long and 6 meters wide.
Flat bottom: 100 meters.
Width: 10 meters
Total length including ramps down and up: 140meters
Ramps 20m on each side with a slope of 5%.
Crossfall at the bottom of Wadepool: 0.5%.
Possible filling depth: Freely between 10cm - 100cm.
The 2,600-meter durability track tests the reliability and durability of body and chassis components. Featuring a variety of surfaces like Belgian cobblestone, grooves, potholes, bumps, and trenches filled with mud and water, it induces high stress and accelerated wear, allowing for efficient, short-term testing. A circular cobblestone section is also included for intensive evaluation.
Handling Track 1 is used for testing tyres, reliability and Vehicle driving characteristics. The track has S-bends and incorrectly graded hairpin and spiral curves. The track is approximately 850 meters long and 6 meters wide. It contains 100 meters long and 10 meters wide straight and a parallel circuit with an S-bend.
Handling Track 2 is used to test vehicle handling and reliability. The track contains “irregularities” such as bumpy surfaces, incorrectly graded bends and wheel tracks. There is also a dirt test track adjacent to the truck circuit. The track is approximately 3,100 meters long and 6 meters wide.
In one 200 meters section, the tracks width increases to 20 meters.
The slopes are used for testing drivelines, driveline installations, brakes and tow bars. Certain slopes are also used for norm testing of breaks and uphill capacity. The gradients of the hills are shown in the table below.
The Skidpad is used for tests involving strong lateral forces. It consists of a circular asphalt surface with drainage with two entry tracks. Skidpad is 100 meters in diameter. It has a gradient of 0.5% with the lowest point at the centre. In applicable cases, it is also used to test range.
The 310-meter low friction track, located within the handling area, is used for testing and developing electronic safety systems. It features a basalt plate surface and a water spray system that adjusts friction levels to meet regulations. The track is 7 meters wide, ensuring controlled testing conditions.
This 500-meter track is designed for testing steering and driving characteristics of cars and heavy vehicles. It features a standard asphalt surface, with a 3.5-meter-wide, 500-meter-long section of noise-generating asphalt on the right side. The overall handling area is 60 meters wide.
Among other things, this track is used to test the cars AWD system. There are a number of hills with differing degrees of difficulty adjacent for testing our cars fitted with all wheel drive.
This 650-meter track simulates urban driving around a square city block, testing cars and heavy trucks in turn maneuvers and stop-and-go traffic, stressing the chassis and driveline. It includes a 16% gradient hill and features a curve radius of 12 meters.
The 5,000-meter track tests active safety systems, featuring bends and hills modeled after roads in Sweden, the USA, and England. It offers varied asphalt surfaces and includes features like American concrete highways, manhole covers, and bridge sections, allowing for comprehensive noise testing both inside and outside vehicles.
The 1,950-meter corrosion track, alongside climate chambers, tests vehicle corrosion resistance. It features a stone-chip asphalt surface and a saltwater spray system. A “salt splash” tunnel simulates winter conditions, mimicking the spray and dirt buildup experienced when driving behind a truck on wet, salted roads.
The 2,100-meter comfort track evaluates vehicle comfort, solidity, function, and reliability across 20 different surfaces, including washboard grooves, bumps, asphalt repairs, concrete gaps, and Vienna cobblestones. It also features a 3,500 m² asphalt area for testing high lateral forces and an easy construction track for vehicles.
The construction site is used to test the durability of trucks, dumpers and off road vehicles. The track has a surface similar to rough construction sites, hilly gravel pits and refuse tips.
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Hear from our team at Hällered Proving Ground about their experiences working in cutting-edge vehicle testing. Discover how their passion and dedication drive innovation every day.
Customer service
As a planning coordinator, we plan activities, demos and events with customers and traffic management. We collaborate with all departments at Hällered for a smooth visit for our customers. When visitors arrive we ensure that they receive the equipment and information needed to perform their tests safely and correctly. We meet inspiring, creative people where every day is different from the other. It’s the best job!
Customer relations & finance
Hällered is a great place to work!
The team spirit here is fantastic which makes each day very fun. It´s a very inspiring place and I have learnt so much since I joined Volvo Hällered. In my role I work with our external customers so my tasks are very varied and stimulating. I also get the chance to meet a lot of people and build a strong network.
Testdriver A shift
I work as a Test driver and get to drive all our new models during the product development process. It´s a challenging and various work and no day or car is like the other
Traffic management
As a traffic controller, you have a job where no two days are the same. From the first contact with customers to ensuring the track’s availability for testers, this role is filled with dynamism and challenges. We traffic controllers make sure everything runs smoothly and safely; every day is a new opportunity to make a difference, and we work proactively to minimize risks and maximize efficiency.
Analysis engineer transmission, chassis and brakes
As an Analysis Engineer in the Durability team, I get really motivated as I get to work close together with test drivers and mechanics here at Hällered to develop a product that will last a long time for our customers.
First rig engineer AD/ADAS
Having Hällered Proving Ground as my workplace feels very special because of the close connection to the newest vehicles, technology, and the desire to always improve our ADAS functions. This gives me a strong feeling of purpose and excitement because it is such a vital part for Volvo Cars to be able to reach the goal of zero collisions.
Teamleader track maintenence
We will work in the background with daily and planned maintenance to support our testers. Tests on tracks and rigs should be conducted 24/7, regardless of the weather
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Experience a welcoming and inclusive work culture where diverse talents come together to innovate. At Volvo Hällered, we prioritize creating an environment that values every team member’s unique perspective, fostering a sense of belonging and collaboration.
Work closely with highly skilled teams across various functions. Our collaborative approach encourages knowledge sharing, creative problem-solving, and synergy, enabling you to grow alongside experienced professionals committed to success.
Be at the forefront of technological advancement. Volvo Hällered offers exciting opportunities to work with the latest technologies, allowing you to contribute to projects that shape the future of the automotive industry.
Engage directly with innovative products that set industry standards. At Volvo Hällered, you will work on premium automotive solutions, playing a crucial role in delivering quality and satisfaction to our customers.
Join a world-class work environment equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Our Hällered location provides an inspiring and efficient workspace designed to support creativity, productivity, and well-being.