Apollo Tyres is opening a cutting-edge outdoor tyre testing facility at Ivalo, Finland, specifically engineered for winter and all-season tyre evaluation.
Being developed under a long-term agreement with UTAC, a globally recognised automotive testing and certification group, the facility will feature exclusive, tailor-made infrastructure and dedicated test tracks, purpose-built for winter and all-season tyre testing in real-world conditions.
Apollo Tyres Chief Technology Officer Daniele Lorenzetti said the dedicated test track at UTAC is a strategic investment that removes bottlenecks, improves cost-effectiveness, and gives the company full control over test schedules, enabling its teams to validate Apollo and Vredestein products more efficiently, particularly during the winter season.
The facility is built to exceed current and future technical and legal standards for winter and all-season tyre development, offering extended testing windows that shorten development timelines and speed up market entry. By consolidating testing in one dedicated site, Apollo Tyres enhances accuracy, repeatability and efficiency in assessing snow and ice performance of Apollo and Vredestein tyres, while strengthening its development programmes against regulatory pressures and climate variability.
The new outdoor testing facility is expected to be fully operational by December 2025 and will immediately begin supporting ongoing product development initiatives for both existing and future tyre lines.