Nokian's Ivalo testing center turned 40 years old

In 2026, Nokian Tyres is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its testing facility in Ivalo, Finland, which is considered the largest and most versatile winter tire testing facility in the world. Every year, the facility, also known as the "White Hell", tests around five thousand passenger and truck tires, and it plays a key role in the manufacturer's strategy to maintain its leading position in the winter tire market.

"When the 'White Hell' opened in 1986, it was just a frozen lake," said Matti Suuripää, test center manager. "A couple of guys from the testing department came with a trailer full of tires and laid out one or two tracks on the ice. There was no test facility, just winter conditions."

Today, tire tests are conducted in Ivalo from November to April on more than 20 tracks, with a total length of over 40 km, and tests are also carried out on a 700-meter ice track in a covered pavilion, on frozen lake surfaces and rural roads. The company says the facility is specifically designed to evaluate all parameters of winter tires on snow and ice. The center is located approximately 235 km north of the Arctic Circle and covers an area of over 700 hectares.

"The Ivalo test center is a key element of our strategy, where our practical knowledge of extreme winter conditions is born and developed," says Nokian President and CEO Paolo Pompei. "For forty years, innovative products have been tested here, and it will continue to play a crucial role in our research, development, and testing process."

Nokian is the first developer of winter tires, which were created in 1934, and two years later, the first model of the famous Hakkapeliitta line was introduced, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The family now includes studded Hakkapeliitta 10 for passenger cars and Hakkapeliitta LT3 for SUVs and pickups, as well as non-studded Hakkapeliitta R5.