At 443 feet (135 m) long and 26.2-feet (8 m) high, the new Light Testing Center is apparently among the largest of its kind in the automotive industry. It enables detailed testing of headlight systems under constant, reproducible conditions – independent of time of day, weather or environmental influences, according to Mercedes.

“A complete country road is authentically recreated spanning 443 feet (135 m). In addition, the asphalt mixture of the road surface was specially developed to replicate the reflective properties of an aged road as closely as possible. Up to five cars can be tested in parallel – including the simulation of oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead. Reflector posts can be deployed at the sides of the road in 65.6-ft (20 m) increments and pedestrian dummies can also be flexibly integrated. The investment in the light testing center amounts to 10.5 million euros, with two years of construction,” Mercedes said.