Apollo inaugurates ‘advanced tire testing facility' in India

Chennai, India – Apollo Tyres has inaugurated an advanced tire testing facility at its Asia R&D centre in Chennai, southern India.

The facility features a “custom-designed flat-trac machine” and a soundproof chamber, said Apollo in a statement 7 Dec.

The flat-trac machine, Apollo explained, will be used to characterise handling parameters and tire models, measuring force and moment (F&M) properties of tires.

The machine is custom-designed to address tire simulation needs of future vehicles, such as EVs and autonomous vehicles.

Unlike previous versions, Apollo said, the new machine replicates “real-life situations, including emergency manoeuvres of vehicles like high slip angles and high torque ramp-up.”

For two-wheelers, it simulates the “most severe inclinations” which can be faced by motorcycle riders.

Another component of the facility is the ‘high-speed uniformity’ machine combined with anechoic chamber.

The unit is helps simulate the NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) properties of the tires, and combines the study of both mechanical and acoustic comfort parameters, Apollo added.

According to Apollo, the new testing centre will particularly focus on the development of tires for ‘high-end’ passenger vehicles, EV specific tires for passenger cars and 'high-end' motorcycle tires.

“We strongly focus on continuous improvement in efficiency and effectiveness of product development,” said Daniele Lorenzetti, chief technology officer.

The new facility, he added, will further improve Apollo’s testing capabilities for future vehicle models.

“We will be able to fine tune the performance of our products by simulating closely to the real-world conditions using this facility,” he explained.

According to Lorenzetti, the unit will support Apollo Tyres’ 2026 vision, in which technology has been described as “a key pillar.”