Testing tyres in extreme conditions

Nokian Tyres is always a step ahead of the present. Continuous development of the testing activities and learning new things has created unique innovations that benefit everyday drivers. Intensive testing and a thorough understanding of winter and our products serve the ultimate goal of product development: safety.

In addition to the test programme that is performed under actual operating conditions, tyre development also requires a significant number of different laboratory tests, computer simulations, and bench tests. The testing separates the good tyres from the best. In order to achieve comprehensive results, tests are run on several international tracks in addition to the company's own testing centres.

"Products which have been carefully tailored for different applications and which have passed strict tests impress their users and open the door to success."

North of the Arctic Circle, in the town of Ivalo in Finnish Lapland, the company operates a testing center with over 700 hectares of land where product development and testing teams and test drivers put tyres to a trial with the task of separating the best tyres out of a good selection.

State-of-the-art equipment, versatile tests and skilled and experienced people see to it that all the extreme situations of winter driving are thoroughly studied in Ivalo. Defying and exceeding the limits of tyres’ grip serves our demanding development work whose foremost goal is safety.

On the Nokia Testing Center, which spreads over an area of 30 hectares, Nokian Tyres simulates almost all driving situations on northern roads.

High-speed tyres are also tested abroad

Tyres that are designed for fast driving and high performance vehicles must also be tested at the appropriate speeds. The testing centre in Nokia is not sufficient for testing UHP (Ultra High Performance) tyres to the required extent and level of detail. In Finland, the seasonal variations make testing times very short for summer tyres. This is why foreign test tracks are also required.

In order to achieve comprehensive results, we test wet grip, aquaplaning properties, and handling in Idiada, Spain and Papenburg, Germany, among other places. In the winter, tyre tests are run in South Africa.

Read more about Nokian Tyres' summer & winter tyres:
https://www.nokiantyres.com/tyres/passenger-car/summer-tyres/
https://www.nokiantyres.com/tyres/passenger-car/winter-tyres/