Apollo Tyres collaborates with GARC to establish test track in Tamil Nadu

Apollo Tyres has collaborated with Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) to establish a test track in Tamil Nadu. The facility will be for testing wet grip of tyres, which is one of the primary safety tests.

Apollo Tyres has provided the technical expertise to get the track ready for testing wet grip of tyres, as per the standard specifications.

The readiness of the test track is linked to the Indian government's plan to implement ‘Star Rating’ of tyres, in line with the Tyre Labelling regulation in Europe. This is with the objective to ensure safety, the economic and environmental efficiency of road transport by promoting fuel-efficient and safe tyres with low noise levels. A new Automotive Industry Standard, AIS 142, in line with UNECE R117 is prepared. It comprises evaluation of tyres with regards to Rolling Sound Emissions, Adhesion on Wet Surfaces and Rolling Resistance, said in the press release.

Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd said that this facility will not only help to test the tyres for the Indian market, but also the ones that are exported, and need to meet the labelling requirements.

The major impediment to government’s plan of implementing Star Ratings was the unavailability of approved test track facilities in India, to test and assess traction on wet surface or wet grip, which means the relative braking performance on a wet surface. TUV Rheinland, facilitator for automotive homologation, has certified the compliance of the new test track in line with the stipulated conditions as in UNECE R117/ AIS 142, he said.

M V Ramachandran, Officer on Special Duty, GARC Test Facilities said, “The Wet Grip test facility of tyres will help the tyre, as well as the vehicle manufacturers, to evaluate the performance as per AIS-142 which is line with Rev4 of UNECE R117. This additional facility is possible with the continuous encouragement and support of the competent authority of NATRIP. The work done by the Vehicle Evaluation Department of GARC and Apollo Tyres’ test team towards finetuning the ABS track to meet the specific requirements, is highly laudable.”