Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds (SHPG) is an international automotive proving facility based in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

's Cardrona area. It is the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, with its second operation undergoing development in southern Patagonia, Argentina. It covers 400ha of private land and usually operates during southern winter months. Global car manufacturers seek to test new models during the Northern Hemisphere summer. SHPG was established in the early 1990s, after Japanese motor companies

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

and

Sumitomo The is one of the largest Japanese ''keiretsu'', or business groups, founded by Masatomo Sumitomo (1585-1652) around 1615 during the early Edo period. History The Sumitomo Group traces its roots to a bookshop in Kyoto founded circa 1615 by Ma ...

began inquiring for a suitable site for testing new engines and tyres in the southern snow. The facility operates under strict discretion for other clients and employs efforts to keep out of the public eye. SHPG also borders the

Snow Farm Snow Farm is a ski area near Wānaka, New Zealand, dedicated to cross-country skiing. Description Snow Farm features 55 km of trails, and the conference centre has accommodation for about 60 people. It is located on the Pisa range clos ...

, a cross-country ski resort. In 2013, SHPG bought neighbouring snowsports terrain park Snow Park NZ, which had for several years been financially struggling, and developed it into its after market ice driving event centre.

References

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External links

*https://www.shpg.co.nz/ Companies of New Zealand Road test tracks Queenstown-Lakes District Automotive industry in New Zealand