Charlotte Tech Center for Chevy

Chevrolet has announced plans to open a technical center in Concord, North Carolina later this year.

The 75,000sq.ft. facility will be located 10 miles from Charlotte Motor Speedway and is intended to expand GM’s performance and racing capabilities, with a focus on transferring knowledge and resources from the racing programs to core vehicle engineering. Ultimately, the goal is to house technology and engineering development capabilities at the Charlotte center.

“We’re thrilled to expand GM’s U.S. footprint by establishing a greater presence in Charlotte, a community that has become a racing and engineering mecca,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of performance and motorsports. “The new facility will be close to a number of key Chevrolet and Cadillac racing partners, teams and suppliers. This will allow for improved collaboration as well as access to some of the industry’s best talent.”

Chevrolet joins its NASCAR counterparts with a dedicated facility to its racing product. Ford opened a technical center in Concord in 2014. Toyota (TRD), while based in Southern California, also has a facility in Salisbury, N.C.

In addition to supporting its NASCAR teams, the facility will also enhance GM’s support for its other racing teams. The technical center will feature vehicle simulation, aero development and other practices designed to advance racing and production capabilities, as well as Driver-in-the-Loop simulators.

“Chevrolet and Cadillac Racing are two of the winningest brands in motorsports,” said Campbell. “This new facility will build upon their legacies and hopefully lead to even more success on the track. Racing helps us accelerate the development, performance and popularity of our cars and trucks across the world.”