PROVING GROUND

Lapland Proving Ground is a completely new testing area, designed especially for vehicle cold climate testing. The full service proving ground is located 200 km above the Arctic Circle in Muonio in the most Northern area of Finland. The size of the area is over 500 hectares.

The proving ground currently provides 20 km of different land based test tracks, up to 10 km ice tracks on the lake and a large workshop which is connected to the offices and the conference room. Cold chambers are also available for use.

The facilities and tracks are designed for all types of vehicles up to truck size. All test tracks are for one-way traffic only. There are a lot of different track variations available. The profiles and shape of the tracks are very diverse providing a great combination of different types of curves and natural uphills and downhills. The land based area is secured with fences and offers a safe prototype testing possibility.

Furthermore, there is still plenty of unbuilt testing area available for more tracks and facilities in the future.


TRACKS ON LAND

Ice tracks

Up to 10 km of ice tracks can be made on the lake. Ice tracks can also be designed according to the customer needs consisting for example circles/skid pads, eights, wide straights and handling tracks.


WORKSHOP AND OFFICES

The main workshop and office building is completely new providing excellent facilities even for bigger test groups. The large workshop is prepared to fit all kinds of vehicles from passenger cars to trucks. Cold chambers next to the workshop are also available for use.

Office building:

  • • Overall size 461 m²
  • • 3 small offices for 5 persons (13 m²)
  • • 3 medium size offices for 7 persons (18 m²)
  • • 1-3 large offices for 10 persons (32 m²)
  • • Meeting room for 15-20 persons (31 m²) - optionally up to 100 m² / 60 persons
  • • Coffee/dining room and kitchen (35 m²)
  • • Toilets, showers and locker room
  • • Data network connections

Workshop:

  • • Overall size 1.080 m²
  • • 3 different size workshops (can be connected)
  • • Capacity 20-30 passenger cars / 10-15 trucks
  • • 4 drive-through workshop places
  • • 4 car lifts
  • • 1 service pit for trucks
  • • Place for car wash

Cold chambers:

  • • 4 chambers in total
  • • Interior measures: hight 3.2 m / width 3.0 m / length 8.0 m
  • • Min. temperature inside the chamber -45°C

Fuel station:

The proving ground is equipped with a fuel station. We can also arrange special fuel types upon request. Whether testing electric or hydrogen vehicles we can provide the required charging/fueling services through our partners.

TAKE A TOUR!


ARCTIC RESEARCH CENTER

Located just 500m away from the testing area, additional facilities can be found for research and development operations in cold and Arctic conditions. The more open environment of the Arctic Research Center gives the possibility for all types of research and development organizations to work under the same conditions as the top car brands in their cold weather testing.

The Arctic Research Centre (ARC) facilities suit also well for technology or service providers of the automotive testing industry. Also suppliers and component manufacturers can make their cold climate test operations close to their customers. This place is open for any kind of new innovations regarding development work in cold and arctic conditions.

Being very close to the main test area, the Arctic Research Center facilities can be easily integrated to the normal vehicle testing activities of the Lapland Proving Ground. The large office building offers a good working environment even for bigger groups. If you are planning to make your test drives mainly on public roads the ARC is well suited for this purpose.

ARC office building:

  • • 10 offices
  • • Overall capacity 65 persons
  • • Coffee/dining room and kitchen
  • • Toilets
  • • Data network connections

ARC workshop:

  • • Overall size 1.500 m²
  • • Capacity 35 passenger cars
  • • 7 car lifts (Nussbaum 2.40 SL)
  • • Place for car wash
  • • Toilets

SERVICES

We can arrange a full range of reliable services for our customers. There is over 40 years’ experience of cold weather car testing in the Muonio area and a lot of know-how to support our customers for successful test operations. A safe and reliable environment for our customers is one of our main tasks as a service provider.

Service selection:

Maintenance and preparation of the tracks:
  • - Our experienced staff is committed to prepare the tracks to match the test program of the customers
  • - Ice tracks can be fully customized according to the customer needs
Safety and security services:
  • - Access control at the main gate
  • - Variety of guarding possibilities
  • - Escorting the logistics safely in to the proving ground
  • - Emergency and first aid service
Durability testing:
  • - Over 20 years’ experience of durability testing services
  • - Well trained, reliable and professional durability test drivers
  • - Coordination and engineering services

LOCATION

Lapland Proving Ground is located 200 km above the Arctic Circle in the municipality of Muonio, in the most Northern area of Finland. The leading car brands have carried out their winter testing in the Muonio area since the late 1960s mainly because of its excellent location. The peaceful environment and beautiful fell scenery creates a unique working experience for our customers.

Travelling to the LPG works smoothly thanks to the good flight connections. The closest airport is in Kittilä only a 50 minute drive from the LPG. Daily flight connections Helsinki-Kittilä and weekly direct flights Germany-Kittilä are available during the season making travelling convenient and efficient. The airport in Rovaniemi, the capital city of Lapland, also offers additional support with good flight connections.

Transportation of test vehicles and other goods takes approximately 3-4 days from Europe using the safe main road connections either through Finland or Sweden. Logistic coming further can also be directed to the harbours of Northern Norway (e.g. Tromsø), where we have a good road connection from Muonio.


WEATHER

Most certainly cold!

Our testing area is situated 200 km above the Arctic Circle but still far away from the Arctic Ocean. The thermic winter season in Muonio is over 6 months long. Here you are able to run the cold climate vehicle testing from late October until late April. Thanks to the natural location of the LPG the weather type during the midwinter is very stable, which suits well for the vehicle testing.

The cold weather is absolutely our benefit compared to the test facilities located more south. In order to run successful cold climate vehicle test procedures you will need long periods of cold and stable conditions. Our location guarantees this!

  • • 186 days long winter season
  • • 116 days below -10 °C
  • • 51 days below -20 °C
  • • 9 days below -30 °C
  • Based on the weather data 1991-2014 from the Finnish Meteorological Institute

Weather data from 2010 to 2015:


ACCOMMODATION

A good variety of high standard accommodation possibilities are found close to the Lapland Proving Ground. We have a close partnership with the leading accommodation provider in Northern Finland, Lapland Hotels. The nearest hotel, Lapland Hotel Lumi, is just a 5 minute drive from the testing area. Another excellent option is Lapland Hotel Olos, which is 10 minute drive away from the LPG.

Both hotels offer all kind of possibilities for leisure time activities. Cross country skiing, alpine skiing, snowshoe hiking, dog sled safaris, snowmobiling – everything is possible!

We are happy to organize the ideal accommodation package for your test group. Just contact us directly.

Contact information to Lapland Hotel Lumi & Olos
Mrs. Sari Oja
sari.oja(a)laplandhotels.com
Tel. +358 16 536 111

Lapland Hotel Lumi

  • - 39 high standard hotel rooms
  • - Every room is equipped with a kitchen and a large bathroom with sauna
  • - Restaurant and lounge
  • - Gym and sauna department
  • - Conference rooms

Lapland Hotel Olos

  • - 210 different type of accommodation possibilities
  • - hotel rooms, luxury suites, apartments, different size of log villas
  • - Every room is equipped with a kitchen and a large bathroom with sauna
  • - 3 restaurants, bar and lounge
  • - Gym, Squash hall, swimming pool and sauna
  • - Meeting and conference center
  • - Auditorium, Olos Polar Center, up to 800 seats
  • - 3D movie theater
  • - Ski resort Olos right outside the hotel

Lapland Hotel Lumi

Lapland Hotel Olos


CONTACT

  • Jukka Vuorinen M.Sc (Eng)
  • Tel. +358 400 800 996
  • jukka.vuorinen(a)laplandpg.fi



  • Belinda Hagin
  • Tel. +358 400 181200
  • belinda.hagin(a)laplandpg.fi



  • Lapland Proving Ground Oy
  • Yrjö Kokontie 4
  • 99300 Muonio
  • Finland