Closed Westmoreland County test track looks for new operators
GREENSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) — Earlier this week, Argo AI announced it was closing operations in Pittsburgh after investors pulled out of the autonomous vehicle start-up.
In addition to Pittsburgh, Argo AI is shuttering its test track in Westmoreland County.
Back in 2019, optimism was riding high after the company announced it was expanding its test track to Westmoreland County. But after this week's news, local leaders are now looking for another firm to come in and use the facility.
Argo AI is being absorbed into Ford and Volkswagen, rendering the test track in Westmoreland County a road to nowhere.
The move leaves dozens of Westmoreland County track technicians out of a job. But the autonomous automobile footprint in the county is hardly going to be erased. In August, PennDOT announced a $20 million autonomous vehicle test track.
Several officials say they anticipate the former Argo AI test track to be used again sooner rather than later.
"Pittsburgh is well-positioned for the av industry," said Jason Rigone, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation. "And those types of sites are just hard to come by."
"It's something that's going to continually develop," state Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward said. "We're not going to stop here."
