Nexen Tire announced on Wednesday that it will establish a dedicated winter tire testing facility at the United Test and Assembly Center (UTAC) test track in Ivalo, Finland.
Nexen Tire, which previously used the Ivalo test facility on short-term contracts, can now extend its winter tire testing period from one month to up to four months with the new dedicated facility. This allows for performance evaluations throughout the entire winter season.
The new testing facility will be located within UTAC, Europe’s largest and most prestigious automotive test track. Since it’s located 300 kilometers from the Arctic Circle, it will enable tire performance evaluations under extreme winter conditions.
The facility will feature research and development offices, a workshop, and a snow and ice track with the length of 20 soccer fields. UTAC will oversee construction and operation, with full-scale operations slated to begin in December.
Notably, this facility will allow Nexen Tire to conduct in-house tests for the 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) certification, the European standard for winter tires. This capability is expected to significantly boost Nexen Tire’s competitiveness in the European market.
Nexen Tire also operates winter tire testing facilities in Taebaek, South Korea, and Wanaka, New Zealand, where it simulates various winter conditions year-round for comprehensive tire testing. Leveraging these resources, the company supplies its winter tire model, the Winguard Sport 2, as original equipment for new vehicles from premium European brands, including Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen.
