Hankook showing non-pneumatic i-Flex at CES 2022

Hankook Tire & Technology is jointly showcasing its ‘i-Flex’ non-pneumatic tyre with Hyundai Motor Company at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022, which begins today in Las Vegas. The tyre will appear in Hyundai’s new Plug & Drive (PnD) Module, a modular platform based on robotics technology that enables mobility of traditionally inanimate things. Hankook says its i-Flex maximises the “characteristics and functions of the PnD module.”

The 10-inch rim tyre has a diameter of 400mm and width of 105mm. Hankook describes i-Flex as a “futuristic” non-pneumatic concept tyre featuring a biomimetic design, and considers the design an “optimal solution” for autonomous vehicles as it requires no pressure maintenance and is immune to punctures.

The Korean tyre maker developed i-Flex “through rigorous biomimetic studies and testing.” It adopted a multi-layer interlocking spoke design inspired by the cellular structure of living organisms, a configuration that reportedly absorbs shocks better and offers increased load support stability. Hankook also selected a concave, C-shaped profile to maximise the contact patch and optimised the tread pattern for “multi-directional vehicular motion” by employing the cell structure shape to the tread design.