The Yokohama Rubber Co. has opened a new winter tire testing facility, the Tire Test Center of Hokkaido, in Asahikawa City, Japan.
With continued global expansion of business, YRC’s winter tire testing needs have outgrown the company’s existing T*MARY winter tire test course in Takasu Town, the tiremaker said. Located at the site of a former horse track, the Tire Test Center of Hokkaido is four times the size of T*MARY.
The testing facility features a 1-kilometer-long straight snow track, a flat ice track, hill track, snow and ice circle, and a handling track, YRC said. The course is able to conduct tests with passenger cars at speeds above 100 kph, as well as braking, starting and acceleration tests with trucks and buses on a variety of road conditions.
Due to weather conditions in the region, YRC will be able to test winter tires from the end of December to the end of February. The tiremaker will use the track to test summer tires the rest of the year, it said.