Hankook launches iON winter line within its electric vehicle tyre range

Having introduced its iON range of electric vehicle tyres – along with the company’s philosophy of specialist tyres for electric vehicle applications – back in May, Hankook has now formally introduced its iON winter tyre line, which is available in a range of 18 to 22 inch sizes. Following on from the iON evo, Hankook’s summer tyre, the new Hankook iON winter is the second member of the new, global “iON” tyre family for premium electric vehicles.

Hankook’s decision to straightforwardly advocate for electric vehicle-specific tyres contrasts with the more complex narratives offered by other tyre manufacturers. By taking this approach, company representative say Hankook wants to “make a decisive contribution…to advancing the mobility transition towards zero emission vehicles, even in the cold season.”

Characteristics of the new iON tyre include reduced rolling resistance, low-noise rolling characteristics and high load-bearing capacity. The latter is especially important to EV owners because it means more range per battery charge. At the same time, good noise performance means a better driving experience compared to conventional tyres.

As one of only a few winter tyres specifically designed to meet the requirements of electric cars, the Hankook iON winter features a bespoke tread compound designed to offer “the lowest possible rolling resistance without sacrificing performance on wet and snow-covered roads”. This has been achieved by using natural oils, which offer the necessary grip, even at low temperatures.

The greater number of sipes plus more empty space between the tread blocks present in winter tyres make this segment particularly challenging when it comes to winter tyre design. Here, tread design reduces noise via the way in which the blocks are specifically distributed along the profile. That performance is further enhanced by Hankook’s integrated “Sound Absorber” system which sees a special sponge-like material seated inside the tyre.

The iON tyre family are also aerodynamically optimised so the range of tyres can offer greater efficiency and range while avoiding additional air turbulence.

Sanghoon Lee, President of Hankook Tire Europe commented: “Changing seasonal tyres in good time avoids premature wear. With our iON winter, we are able to offer the right product to ensure drivers can switch to tyres that are specifically designed for EV vehicles, even during the winter months.”

While the Hankook iON evo is available as a summer tyre, an all-season version, the Hankook iON evo AS, will also be available for the North American market.

Look out for further coverage of the launch, which coincided with Hankook’s announcement of Formula E support, in forthcoming editions of Tyres & Accessories magazine.