Nokian Tyres has begun work building a new all-weather test track centre in Spain which should be in full operation by 2020, allowing it to develop tyres in a range of conditions.

The first test tracks at Santa Cruz de la Zarza will be completed next year, and the technology centre is expected to be fully operational in 2020. Nokian already has two test centres but both are in Finland. Adding the third facility in Spain’s warmer climate allows for year-round testing of summer, all-season and winter tyres. The company says the main focus is on summer and all-season tyres with a high speed rating because there is especially high demand for them in Nokian’s growth markets in Central Europe and North America, but also on more eco-friendly tyres. The 750 acre site will have more than ten different test tracks that will be used to study the durability and performance of tyres. Circling the facility is a 4.3 mile oval track for testing tyres at speeds of up to 186 mph (300 km/h). Other tracks are designed for performing many of the approval testing required from tyres, such as wet grip and rolling noise tests. Pontus Stenberg, Vice President of the Products and Technologies unit for Nokian Tyres, said: “The modern, versatile test tracks in the new technology centre will be tailored for the demanding development work that goes into every Nokian Tyres product. “The hot Spanish conditions provide us with a great setting for testing our tyres all year long. Comprehensive testing and a thorough understanding of customer needs ensures that our premium tyres are state-of-the-art and work reliably in all conditions.”