Nokian Tyres celebrates the 90th anniversary of its innovation, the winter tire
Nokian Tyres plc Press Release October 9, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. EEST
Winter tire celebrates its 90th anniversary this fall. Nokian Tyres invented the world’s first winter tire in 1934, and 90 years later Nokian Tyres continues to be the pioneer of safe winter driving. The winter tire continues to be reinvented to meet the demands of modern drivers and changing conditions.
Safety for the harshest winter conditions invented in 1934
Nokian Tyres invented the winter tire to tackle the harsh Finnish winter. Prior to Nokian Tyres’ innovation, there were no tires suitable for winter driving: tires had a smooth surface and required snow chains on top of them for grip in winter. The winter tire featured a rough tread pattern for grip and traction, and the tread pattern was also designed open enough to clean itself of snow while driving, enabling a safe journey on winter roads. The world’s first winter tire Kelirengas, Weather Tire, was mostly designed for trucks, and two years later, in 1936, a further improved design specifically for passenger cars, Lumi-Hakkapeliitta, Snow-Hakkapeliitta, was introduced. To meet the demands of slippery roads, caused by the increased number of vehicles and plowing, Lumi-Hakkapeliitta featured small suction cups to prevent slipping on icy surfaces. Nearly 90 years later, the Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta is one of the world’s best-known winter tire brands.
The innovation started a revolution in winter driving: suddenly much more could be achieved far more safely, regardless of the weather. In the early 1960s, studs were introduced into the design, creating yet another innovation for safe winter driving.
Modern winter tire is both safe and sustainable
Winter tire as one of the most important pieces of safety equipment for winter driving is as relevant today as it was 90 years ago. The modern winter tire features a mix of about 100 different raw materials, roughly three times more than the winter tire in the 1930’s, including both renewable and recycled raw materials.
“The winter tire taught us that we can ensure safety by keeping ahead of the challenges. As the world keeps on changing, so do the challenges. In these 90 years, the weather conditions have changed, new materials have been innovated, and product development has taken leaps towards creating more and more sustainable tires,” Teemu Soini, Nokian Tyres VP, Innovations & Development states.
“The two main areas of our innovation and development are safety and sustainability, and especially in winter tires safety is a priority,” Soini says.
Different driving conditions call for different winter tires
The modern winter tire relies on decades of product development and innovation work. Continuous testing in real winter conditions for example in Nokian Tyres’ test center in Finnish Lapland makes sure that the tires from the inventor of the winter tire will be able to safeguard drivers in all conditions.
”Different driving conditions call for different types of winter tires, as winter conditions vary greatly depending on the area and its climate: in Central Europe, winter has more rain, whereas in Scandinavia roads are covered in snow or ice. That’s why Nokian Tyres tailors its winter tires according to the conditions of the area they are meant to be driven in,” says Marko Saari, VP, Product Management from Nokian Tyres.
In addition to the varying winter driving conditions, development in vehicle technology affects the development of winter tires.
“For example, tires for EVs need to carry heavier loads because of the extra weight of the battery and instantly respond to the high-torque power. Our starting point is that all our products make driving safe no matter what car you drive. Testing has remained a key to ensure tire performance to meet the needs of modern drivers,” says Saari.
Nokian Tyres manufactures winter tires for the Nordic market and for North America in its factory in Finland, and tires for Central Europe will be manufactured in its factory in Romania.
Further information:
media@nokiantyres.com
Teemu Soini, VP, Innovations & Development, teemu.soini@nokiantyres.com
Marko Saari, VP, Product Management, marko.saari@nokiantyres.com
Nokian Tyres' purpose is to make the world safer by reinventing tires, and how they are made, over and over again - a safer place to drive, work and live now and for generations to come. Inspired by our northern heritage, we develop and manufacture premium tires for passenger cars, trucks and heavy machinery with sustainability at the heart of all our operations. Our Vianor chain provides tire and car services. We are some 3,400 people with net sales of EUR 1.2 billion in 2023, and together we lead the journey to smarter driving for people and for businesses. Nokian Tyres is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. Further information: company.nokiantyres.com