Emirates Motor Company’s (EMC) has officially inaugurated a dedicated testing facility for Mercedes-Benz heavy-duty trucks in Abu Dhabi that will evaluate the performance with heavier loads and hotter ambient conditions than any other facility.

EMC is the authorised Mercedes-Benz distributor in Abu Dhabi and flagship company of AlFahim.

The world-class facility is the only one of its kind in the region and has been operating for three years. It tests EMC’s heavy-duty vehicles against all conditions, including the extreme high temperature and sandy environments which are so prevalent in the region, said EMC.

The purpose-built facility at EMC’s Commercial Vehicles in Mussafah is one of 11 Daimler specialist test centres spread throughout the globe. What is unique about the Abu Dhabi location is that it is capable of testing the trucks at heavier loads and hotter ambient conditions than any other facility, said the company.

This facility enables Mercedes-Benz trucks to be tested against the most challenging desert conditions to ensure that they are safe and durable when travelling long distances.

Speaking at the launch, EMC commercial vehicles general manager Bilal Al Ribi said: “This is important to our customers as it gives them the reassurance that our trucks have faced the highest standards of testing possible. This allows us to make sure that only high-quality products reach our customers.”

The head of the testing programme for Mercedes-Benz from Germany, Dr Wolfgang Sladek said: “We really do appreciate the testing cooperation with EMC, here in Abu Dhabi, since this location provides extreme ambient conditions and allows for high gross vehicle weights.

“That combination puts a lot of load on both our powertrain and the entire vehicle which helps us find any possible weak spots fast to provide our customers with premium quality. In addition to the location, it is also the people that make this a success. We get really great support from EMC in everything we need.”

Al Ribi pointed out that the total travel distance with the test fleet has recently reached a 6-million-km mark, which demonstrates the level of testing it has gone through and the positive effect it had on the vehicle.