UTAC announces major expansion in China with a new hi-tech proving ground

UTAC, a market leader in automotive testing, inspection & certification, announces a major expansion in China with a new proving ground in Huainan, in central Anhui province.

Established in partnership with Huainan City Government, the high-tech proving ground will serve as the strategic operational base for UTAC Group in China and provide advanced testing facilities and expertise for the mobility industry.

UTAC’s experts will deliver testing and homologation services to the latest international standards and regulations, as the group continues to pursue its mission of advancing mobility toward a safer and cleaner future. The new facility will offer comprehensive tracks for vehicle testing, a technology park with workshops and offices for rental and a bespoke conference and exhibition centre. Purpose built laboratories will be equipped with the latest equipment for testing the next generations of technology driven new energy vehicles.

With a population of 70million people, Anhui province has an extensive mobility ecosystem, including leading brands such as BYD, Changan, Chery, JAC, NIO and Volkswagen, along with their associated supply chains. With around 3.7 million vehicles built in 2025, Anhui is China’s leading province for vehicle manufacturing, new‑energy vehicle output, and overall vehicle exports.

Anhui Province is a central hub for the overall mobility industry in China, and the new Huainan proving ground will be a major strategic asset for the UTAC Group.

Commenting on the project, Connor McCormack, CEO of UTAC, said: " We are extremely proud of our partnership with the city of Huainan, which is undergoing a significant transformation to support the future of the automotive industry. UTAC is delighted to contribute to this transformation and to bring our 100 years of specialist expertise, along with the European standards we have helped shape and validate, to China’s vital automotive sector.”

Commenting on the implementation of the UTAC Huainan project, Mayor Zhang Zhiqiang of Huainan City said: “This represents a significant milestone in Huainan’s efforts to accelerate the development of its intelligent connected vehicle industry. It is of great importance in bridging the critical gap in the regional automotive sector’s industrial chain of ‘testing-production-export’ and establishing a specialized vehicle testing and certification platform with international recognition. The successful cooperation on this project will undoubtedly advance the high-end and intelligent transformation of the regional automotive industry, providing strong impetus for Anhui Province’s efforts to foster a new energy vehicle industrial cluster with international competitiveness.”

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About UTAC

UTAC is an independent market leading provider of critical services across the mobility sector for regulators, governments & businesses. With an international presence across the key mobility markets in Europe, the USA and Asia, UTAC provides capabilities for hot, temperate & cold climate testing, inspection & certification.

UTAC has extensive expertise, strategic assets and a strong track record, providing one-stop-shop services for customers across the entire value chain.

UTAC is strongly positioned to support the rapid industry transformation in functional & technological innovation, testing, inspecting & certifying mobility products & solutions to comply with international quality, environmental and safety standards and regulations.

The Group has 19 global locations, with 6 proving rounds, 55 laboratories and 1300 experts, dedicated to delivering high quality services & results for our customers.

www.utac.com

About Huainan

Huainan City, nestled in central-north Anhui Province, lies at the meeting of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, representing the natural divide between China’s north and south. Celebrated as China’s “Capital of Energy” and “National Civilized City”, tourism, urban regeneration to cleaner industries to reduce carbon emissions, water-saving and the reform of national public hospitals are the key social projects.

Recognized as the “Industrial Granary” of East China, Huainan stands out as a pivotal industrial hub and a regional powerhouse in Anhui Province. The new energy vehicles and components industry is the core industry of Huainan, and the city has already created a RMB100 billion industry cluster with further developments planned in the areas of power batteries, electric motors, smart cockpits, intelligent chassis and integrated automotive electronics.