Bosch opens new proving ground in China

Donghai, China, June 28, 2013: Bosch has opened a new proving ground in Donghai, Jiangsu province. This test facility will allow year-round testing of active safety systems such as the ABS antilock braking system, the ESP electronic stability program, and powerful driver assistance systems for passenger cars, motorcycles, and trucks with a total weight of up to 45 metric tonnes.

Bosch says Chinese drivers are increasingly opting for safety and comfort features. “Even now, every fifth passenger car made in China has the ESP anti-skid system on board”, says Gerhard Steiger, the president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division: “By 2015, this will be every third passenger car.” In three construction phases, Bosch will invest a total of 73 million euros (Rs 573 crore) in this testing facility by 2017. Including testing and service facilities, the site will cover a total surface area of some 1.4 million square metres, roughly the same as 200 soccer fields.

Worldwide, Bosch operates more than 10 proving grounds. There is already one Chinese testing facility in Inner Mongolia. The new test track, which will also be open to automakers, is assigned to the Chassis Systems Control division. This Bosch division manufactures and develops components and systems for active and passive safety, as well as driver assistance systems. Worldwide, Chassis Systems Control employs some 16,000 associates at more than 35 locations.

Bosch in China

A global supplier of technology and services, Bosch has been present in China since 1909. Today, Bosch China has some 34,000 associates, working in the automotive technology, industrial technology, consumer goods, and energy and building technology business sectors at 58 locations. Following Germany and the US, China is Bosch's third largest market. It generated sales of some 5.1 billion euros (Rs 40,065 crore) in 2012.