India opens Asia’s longest high-speed track

The track at the NATRAX centre in Indore has multiple test capabilities. [Courtesy]

India today got Asia's longest high-speed track for testing automobiles including high-end cars.

The track in the central Indian city of Indore will be used for measuring the maximum speed capability of high-end cars like BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Tesla, which cannot be measured on any of the Indian test tracks.

Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the track which is the longest in Asia, an official statement said.

Developed in an area of 1,000 acres of land, the track is a one-stop solution for all sorts of high-speed performance tests for the widest categories of vehicles from two-wheelers to heavy tractor-trailers.

The track at the NATRAX centre in Indore has multiple test capabilities like measurements of maximum speed, acceleration, constant speed fuel consumption, emission tests through real road driving simulation, high-speed handling and stability evaluation during manoeuvred such as lane change and high-speed durability testing.

Being centrally located in Madhya Pradesh state, the track is accessible to most of the major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Foreign OEMs will be looking at the track for the development of prototype cars for Indian conditions.

At present, foreign OEMs go abroad for high-speed test requirements.