As we head towards the summer, it’s already winter in Germany.
But tomorrow it could blisteringly hot, with monsoon showers the day after, before arid conditions return.
All the seasons in a few hours is part of the working day for engineers in the Ford Weather Factory, Cologne.
Here, Ford invested €70 million to build the facility so drivers can rely on vehicles that have endured conditions found in the Sahara, in Siberia, and atop the tallest Alpine peaks.
The test centre offers the first automotive wind tunnel that can simulate 5,200 metres, the same elevation as the Mount Everest North Base Camp, and the first with such a range of conditions that can be simulated under one roof.
The temperature extremes make the facility the hottest, coldest and most humid place in Europe, and home to the highest point in Western Europe.
“The vast range of punishing simulation tests will enable Ford drivers to be confident their vehicles can handle whatever climate zone they live in,” said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe.
“Travelling to the four corners of this building is like taking a trip to the four corners of the world, and our engineers will do that around the clock, every day.”