Hankook’s iON tire line is specifically designed for EVs.
The iON winter tires arrive next spring.
Electric vehicles are posing serious headaches for both wheel and tire companies. Wheels can have a considerable impact on efficiency and range. Tires have these two elements to handle as well as an EVs power, and more. This is where dedicated EV tires come into play and Hankook’s iON tire family is designed to do it all.
Hankook iON Winter Tire | Photo: Hankook
With winter knocking on our doors, a tire capable of handling ice, snow, and extremely low temperatures are a must. It is for these conditions that Hankook has created the iON winter as its characteristics also include reduced rolling resistance, extremely low-noise rolling characteristics, and high load-bearing capacity – talk about a tall order.
The iON winter tire is created with a specially developed tread compound with a high silica content that ensures the lowest possible rolling resistance, to maximize range already impacted by colder temperatures, without sacrificing performance on wet and snow-covered roads. Thanks to natural oils, it is possible to achieve the necessary grip with the built-in tread flexibility which allows the tire to adapt to the road surface. Limiting rolling noise and drag were challenges given the large gaps between tread blocks but thanks to a special aerodynamically optimized tread pattern, these concerns are no longer issues.
Hankook iON Winter Tire | Photo: Hankook
Sooil Lee, CEO & President of Hankook Tire & Technology says, “Changing seasonal tires in good time avoids premature wear. With our iON winter, we are able to offer the right product to ensure drivers can switch to tires that are specifically designed for EV vehicles, even during the winter months.”
The Hankook iON winter will be available in sizes from 18 to 22 inches upon market launch next spring.
