Apollo Tyres Ltd. to open a tyre test facility in Finland, a first for an Indian tyre OEM

Apollo Tyres Ltd. is gearing up to build a new all-season testing facility in Ivalo, Finland. It will be a first for an Indian tyre manufacturer to have its test facility in Finland. This establishment will be specifically set up for winter and all-season tyre development and assessment for Apollo as well as Vredestein Tyres.

The test facility is being developed in a long-term agreement with UTAC (Union Technique de l'Automobile, du Motocycle et du Cycle) — a French automotive testing and certification group which is globally renowned and regarded for its credible work and contribution. These premises will feature specialised infrastructure for test tracks, winter and all-season tyre testing under real-world conditions. It is expected to exceed numerous technical and legal standards for winter and all-season tyre development. The natural weather conditions of snowfall in Finland will enable the R&D teams to conduct extended season testing making way for enhanced accuracy and efficiency. The facility is expected to be fully functional by December 2025 and will be used for evaluation of tyres from Apollo and Vredestein Tyres on snow and ice surfaces.

Apollo Tyres Ltd. is an Indian tyre OEM with its headquarters in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. The brand’s product line includes tyres for cars, SUVs, MUVs, light trucks, truck-buses, two-wheelers, agricultural and industrial vehicles, specialty vehicles, bicycles and off-road tyres. It has earned a place amongst the top 20 tyre makers in the world. Vredestein Banden BV — a high-end tyre manufacturer in the Netherlands was acquired by Apollo Tyres Ltd. in 2009. This was followed by the acquisition of Reifencom GmbH, a major tyre distributor in Germany. At present Apollo and Vredestein products are available across 100 countries. As for the manufacturing hubs, it has five facilities in India and one facility in the Netherlands and another in Hungary.