Environmental protection in Nardò

Expansion of Porsche test track in Italy halted

(Bild: Porsche)

Porsche is in trouble with environmentalists in Italy. They are opposing plans by the German car manufacturer to expand the world's fastest test track in the southern Italian town of Nardò on the heel of Italy's boot, for which 450 million euros are to be spent. The southern Italian region of Apulia, where Nardò is located, has now put a stop to the project.

"The region wants to reconcile the public interest in carrying out the project with environmental protection. In agreement with the Ministry of the Environment, we have decided to reconsider some aspects of the project," said the President of the Apulia region, Michele Emiliano.

Up to 500 km/h possible
Porsche is testing innovative cars on a gigantic high-speed ring in the south of Italy. The Nardò Technical Center (NTC) test track, owned by Porsche and operated by Porsche Engineering, is one of the fastest in the world. The circular race and test track is one of only a few tracks on which vehicles can reach speeds of up to 500 km/h. Opened by Fiat in 1975, the test track in the small town of Nardò on the Gulf of Taranto has been part of Porsche's development department since 2012. In addition to the main track, there are 20 other, smaller test tracks. As the crow flies, it is only two kilometers to the sandy beaches of the Adriatic Sea.

The facility is in an idyllic location.(Bild: Porsche)

Nine new routes planned
Over the years, the Nardò Technical Center, which covers an area of over 700 hectares, has become one of the world's most innovative centers for high-performance testing and development of intelligent and networked vehicles. Now the test center with its 200 employees wants to continue its strong growth. Porsche has ambitious expansion plans, for which the Group intends to invest 450 million euros. The focus is on autonomous, networked driving. Nine new tracks are to be built on the Porsche site.

Ancient holm oaks to be sacrificed
However, 300 hectares of landscape will have to be sacrificed for the project - including a large Mediterranean forest with ancient holm oaks. The area is considered a protected area and one of the last green lungs in the region. 40,000 signatures were collected from the population against the deforestation. Environmental protection associations filed an appeal with an administrative court against the decision of the region, which approved Porsche's development plans in the area.

The environmental activists welcomed the Puglia region's decision. "We are glad that common sense has prevailed. It would be unacceptable for our politicians to ruin our forest, our environment and our livestock," commented Maria Teresa Corsi, spokeswoman for the "Greens, Environment and Society" group in the Puglia region.