Apollo Tyres has inaugurated its outdoor tire testing facility in Ivalo, Finland, designed to support the development of winter and all-season tires. The facility, which became fully operational in December 2025, was developed under a long-term agreement with automotive testing and certification group UTAC.
The purpose-built site features dedicated snow and ice tracks, advanced measurement systems and tailored infrastructure to replicate a wide range of real-world winter conditions. The facility allows Apollo Tyres to conduct continuous testing throughout the season, improving data repeatability, reducing logistical complexity and accelerating development cycles.
“This inauguration is more than the opening of a facility; it is a clear demonstration of Apollo Tyres’ commitment to innovation, safety and performance excellence,” said Neeraj Kanwar, the vice chairman and MD of Apollo Tyres. “With this investment, we are strengthening our ability to develop tires that perform reliably in the most demanding winter conditions while maintaining exceptional year-round versatility.”
“This facility is a great asset within Apollo Tyres,” added Benoit Rivallant, the chief commercial officer of Apollo Tyres. “It is more than a tire test facility, as it also gives us the possibility to invite our customers to experience winter testing for themselves. This will strengthen their insights in tire development and performance.”
Daniele Lorenzetti, the chief technology officer at Apollo Tyres, commented, “The launch of our dedicated outdoor tire testing facility is a major step forward for our R&D capabilities. It gives us highly consistent, real-world data, enabling faster validation and quicker speed to market. Most importantly, it strengthens our ability to continuously improve tire performance, safety and sustainability, delivering better products to our customers, faster.”
The facility is designed to meet current technical and legal requirements while remaining adaptable to future regulatory and certification standards, reinforcing the company’s focus on performance, safety and innovation.
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