Location & Climate

Located close to the Mediterranean coast, the favourable climate allows all-year-round testing. Summer temperatures are ideal for hot climate tests and development programmes can continue independently of the weather during the winter months, making this facility the first choice regardless of the type of testing.

The favourable climatological conditions of the region around the proving ground complex permit year-round testing without hindrance from the weather. In the summer months of June, July, August and September average daily maximum temperatures range from 25º to 32º. Rainfall is low and typically concentrated into a few short showers per month. The average number of sunshine per day is high, typically 10 – 12 hours/day.

Average maximum daily winter temperatures range from 14ºC to 19ºC and seldom drop below 5ºC every night. The frequency of days with rainfall per month does not increase greatly from that of summer. There are only about 25 – 30 days per year on which there is a notable level of rain.

Further meteorological data on ambient temperatures, relative humidity, rainfall, solar radiation, wind directions and speed are available from IDIADA’s weather station situated in the L’Albornar complex.

The proving ground complex is located approximately 70km south-west of Barcelona, near the town of El Vendrell, in the province of Tarragona. The area, 10km from the Mediterranean coast, is served by excellent motorway links with the rest of Europe, and is approximately 45 minutes derive away from Barcelona’s international airport. A purpose-built motorway junction provides direct access to the complex for the A2 Motorway (Barcelona – Zaragoza, exit 12).

The area around the test track offer a wide range of public road types including winding country and coastal roads, mountainous areas. Motorways, etc. all of which offer additional testing possibilities for clients wishing to complement track testing with general road testing.