Thu February 18 07:00 am 2021 in category Company news
Nokian Tyres Spain Test Center Nears Completion, Ramps Up Testing
The 740-acre facility will serve as a hub for product development
SANTA CRUZ DE LA ZARZA, Spain – Nokian Tyres is completing construction and ramping up testing at its new $70 million Spain Test Center, and the company is preparing to launch full operations there later this year.
The nearly 740-acre facility features 10 tracks that will enable Nokian Tyres to develop and test products, including the company’s growing portfolio of all-season tires, many of which are made at its North American factory in Dayton, Tennessee.
The Spain Test Center’s crown jewel is a 4.5-mile (7.2-kilometer) high-speed oval track that enables testing at speeds up to 190 miles (300 kilometers) per hour. Other tracks will test properties such as wet and dry handling, braking and hydroplaning. The facility will also conduct tire approval tests, such as noise and wet grip grading.
The new test facility is the latest step in Nokian Tyres’ investment in strengthening its global product portfolio, from winter and all-weather tires to all-season products, a growing market segment for the company in North America and areas of Central Europe. The center 60 kilometers south of Madrid provides a premium place for Nokian Tyres to test products in an environment that simulates many areas of North America.
Nokian Tyres broke ground on the Spain Test Center in May 2018 and plans to begin full product testing and development operations there later in 2021. The compound is Nokian Tyres’ third global test facility, joining its renowned Ivalo Test Center north of Finland’s Arctic Circle and a facility close to its global headquarters in Nokia, Finland.
The site houses a visitor center that will host product launches and training sessions, as well as an ode to Nokian Tyres’ Nordic heritage – a traditional Finnish wooden sauna. A sustainability leader in the tire industry, Nokian Tyres preserved approximately 62 acres (25 hectares) for wildlife protection; the land will eventually include a nesting house and ponds to help sustain native animal populations.
Download pictures and video of the Spain Test Center
Spain Test Center Facts
- Construction will be completed this year, and tire testing is currently in a ramp-up phase
- The Spain Test Center is situated on nearly 300 hectares (approximately 740 acres) in Santa Cruz de la Zarza, approximately 60 kilometers south of Madrid
- The test center features 10 tracks, including a 4.5-mile (7.2-kilometer) high-speed oval that enables testing at speeds up to or exceeding 190 miles (300 kilometers) per hour
- This is the third test center in Nokian Tyres’ global network, which also includes facilities in Ivalo and Nokia, Finland
- Total investment at the facility is approximately 60 million Euros ($73 million)
- Nokian Tyres preserved 25 hectares (approximately 62 acres) of land for wildlife protection