On March 20, China's first national comprehensive testing base with approved airspace usage rights and road-air integrated testing capabilities was officially launched in Xinfeng County of Shaoguan, in northern Guangdong Province.
Jointly built by five parties, including the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute and GAC Group, the testing ground covers approximately 573 hectares with a total investment exceeding 3.6 billion yuan.
As the country's first national R&D and testing center for flying cars, the intelligent connected new energy vehicle testing center has established a three-in-one system that integrates low-altitude operations, test sites, and laboratories.
The facility covers over 100 testing scenarios for intelligent connected vehicles and low-altitude aircraft. Maximum testing speeds reach 280 km/h, and maximum test altitude reaches 1,200 meters.
The platform has introduced three pilot lines to address common testing challenges for intelligent connected vehicles, flying cars, and eVTOLs. Its scope spans vehicle performance testing, low-altitude aircraft flight tests, and cross-domain verification involving vehicles, aircraft, networks, and airspace.
Hardware facilities include an 8.5 km high-speed loop with a top speed of 280 km/h; a 300-meter-diameter dynamic plaza, the largest single unit in China; a 3,645-square-meter integrated service hangar, the first of its kind in China; and a flying car powertrain laboratory.
The test site also features six long straight taxiways, more than four vertical take-off and landing pads, 240 kW fast charging stations, 5G-A base stations, and a low-altitude digital supervision platform.
In July 2025, the next-generation Robotaxi, jointly developed by Didi Autonomous Driving and GAC Aion, completed the industry's first durability and reliability test in autonomous driving mode at the center. The vehicle is currently undergoing routine road testing in Guangzhou and Beijing.
Tao Haiyan, Director of Didi Autonomous Driving Vehicle Models, said that the testing ground covers 34 types of road spectra and can meet the full process requirements for L4-level Robotaxi vehicle development and validation. Additionally, leveraging the site's resources and a localized test support team, the facility enables one-stop product verification.
Moreover, a flight test base for low-altitude aircraft in Guangdong and a dedicated facility for ground-air integrated testing were also inaugurated, focusing respectively on establishing innovation hubs for the low-altitude economy and developing technical standards for ground-air integration.
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
Photo | China Automotive Engineering Research Institute
