Nokian Tyres test centers

Innovative and efficient testing, product development, and production culminate in test-winning tires that are reliable under any conditions.

Our tire testing network consists of a 1,730-acre (700-hectare) site in Ivalo, Finnish Lapland, a site near our Finnish headquarters in Nokia, Finland, and a 740-acre (300-hectare) site in Spain. As the tire industry pioneer, we are determined to keep ahead and our test tracks play an important role in our continuous development.

We carefully tailor our products for different regions because different conditions place various demands on tires. This is why we test our pioneering products all around the world on different road surfaces and in quickly changing weather.

Uncompromising testing demands an almost endless amount of repetition in constant conditions to obtain reliable results. We utilize the world's best test drivers, a wide scope of testing activities, and versatile testing equipment to ensure our tires work in the best possible way under varying conditions – and even in extreme situations.

Testing requires extreme professional competence, precision and thousands of repetitions. Even the best instruments cannot tell you what a tire feels like to drive. Each year our professional test drivers cover hundreds of thousands of miles (kilometers) to feel, sense, and evaluate the tires' performance.

Close co-operation with leading car manufacturers ensures that the products utilize new technology in an optimal manner.

As the northern most tire manufacturer in the world, Nokian Tyres is deeply rooted in northern soil. We developed the world’s first winter tire in 1934. We dedicate at least half of the year to serious winter tire testing - a natural choice for the inventor of winter tires.

Summer means a different type of weather, temperature, and state of mind for everyone. All season tires are meant for use in summertime road conditions. We carefully tailor our products for different regions because different conditions place varying demands on tires. We test our pioneering products all around the world for this reason.

The wear durability of tires is assessed using convoy tests where three identical cars drive one after the other on a set route. The cars are driven for about 9,300 miles (15,000 kilometers) for two weeks. Two of the cars have test tires installed, while the third runs on reference tires used for comparing against the results obtained from the test tires. The test studies how quickly the tires wear out and whether they maintain their smooth and flawless shape in the process.

Field tests conducted on taxis driving their normal routes in Nordic countries reveal authentic information about tire wear on different roads and in various driving situations.

Delivery vans of transport companies equipped with C tires provide Nokian Tyres with direct feedback from users on the tires’ functionality and properties in normal applications. 

Nokian Tyres’ indoor testing is used to ensure new rubber mixtures, tread patterns and tire constructions are of high quality and are friendly to the environment. Our indoor testing also allows us to ensure the tires conform to norms and requirements worldwide.

Materials testing machines are used to test the structural toughness and high-speed durability of tires. Repetitive tests are used to monitor the flawlessness of tires and to ensure products are high quality and technically reliable. Obtaining certifications from authorities (governing bodies) requires separate tests, which prove our products fulfill their standards.