The National Tire Research Center

is an advanced tire research center and test facility located in Southside Virginia. It is expected that the NTRC will conduct independent testing, research and assessments to complement research and development performed by tire and auto manufacturers with a focus on increasing research on green technology. The center will provide the automotive industry with testing capability that is necessary to engineer and develop tires that will provide higher fuel economy and lower emissions than are currently available. This level and breadth of research, development and testing in one location for automotive and tire manufacturers does not exist anywhere else in the world.

The NTRC will house a newly designed force and moment machine, designed for passenger car, light truck and race car tires. The center will also incorporate state-of-the-art rolling resistance machinery, enabling tire and automotive manufacturers to accelerate the development of green tire technology, reproduce real world emergency events, and improve vehicle highway safety. data provided by the NTRC will accelerate the development of these technologies and enable another significant leap in the use of computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation in automotive engineering.

Engineers, scientists, and Virginia Tech faculty members will work together to conduct research and testing, thus enabling the industry to more rapidly introduce vehicles with the newly developed technology. The NTRC will provide significant research opportunities for the automotive industry, and will create additional research and funding opportunities for vehicle manufacturers, tire manufacturers, the motorsports industry, and government agencies. Engineers and scientists from industry and universities will be offered an educational opportunity in tire and vehicle technology related topics, short courses, distance learning and facility visits.

The NTRC is expected to have a significant direct impact on the automotive industry and on the local economy.

National Tire Research Center
1020 Lotus Drive
Alton, Virginia 24520