Hankook Tire Launches Korea's First Tires Dedicated to Electric Trucks and Buses

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Hankook Tire & Technology (hereinafter Hankook Tire) announced on the 17th that it will expand the product portfolio of its electric vehicle-exclusive tire brand 'ION', which was limited to passenger cars, to trucks and buses.

Hankook Tire has been selling the electric bus-exclusive tire ‘AU06’ since 2020 to take the lead in the electrification transition of commercial vehicles. With the new launch of ION, the brand has been renamed ‘Smart ION AU06+’ and its performance upgraded.

The Smart ION AU06+ is custom-made to suit the characteristics of electric buses, such as enhanced tire lifespan, quick responsiveness, high torque response, and heavy load support, providing an optimized driving experience in various driving conditions.

First, a new compound (a mixture of various raw materials of the tire) specialized in wear resistance was applied. Also, even under heavy load conditions, road contact pressure is evenly distributed to ensure uniform tread wear, boasting significantly improved mileage. In fact, when mounted on electric buses, it provides about 25% better mileage performance compared to Hankook Tire’s regular city bus tires.

Considering the characteristics of electric buses equipped with heavy batteries that endure heavy loads and high torque conditions, the grip performance on wet roads has been improved by about 10% compared to the previous model. Along with this, the allowable load range has been increased up to 8 tons, enhancing driving stability.

Additionally, a noise-optimized pattern design was applied to reduce noise generation. The sidewall of the tire reflects a design considering the aerodynamics of electric buses, and the cooling system enhances heat dissipation efficiency.

Starting with this launch, Hankook Tire will actively build a dedicated tire portfolio for electric trucks and buses. It plans to rapidly expand electric truck and bus-exclusive tires by developing ‘ION City’, focused on urban traffic and transportation, and ‘ION Flex’, focused on medium- and long-distance transportation. These products are being prepared with the goal of entering the European market.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.