Hankook Tires is launching the ‘Aion,’ the first ever tire brand tailored specifically for electric trucks and buses in South Korea. The strategy is to expand its portfolio of existing electric tire brand ‘Aion,’ which was previously limited to passenger cars, to include heavy-duty vehicles, thus leading the market.
To take the lead in the electrification of commercial vehicles, Hankook Tires released the ‘AU06,’ a tire specifically for electric buses, in 2020, which is currently available in the market. With the launch of ‘Aion,’ the brand will now be rebranded to ‘Smart Aion AU06+,’ with performance upgrades introduced.
The ‘Smart Aion AU06+’ is designed exclusively for electric buses, incorporating Hankook Tires’ innovative technology specifically for electric vehicles. Customized to meet the unique characteristics of electric buses, it offers improved mileage (tire lifespan), quick responsiveness, and high torque support, ensuring an optimized driving experience across various road conditions.
Firstly, a newly developed compound (a mixture of various raw materials used in tires) specialized in wear resistance has been applied. This compound evenly distributes road contact pressure even under heavy load conditions, resulting in uniform tread wear and substantially enhanced mileage. In fact, when mounted on electric buses, it provides about 25% improved mileage performance compared to Hankook’s general city bus tires.
Considering the high load characteristics of electric buses equipped with heavy batteries subjected to high torque conditions, grip performance on wet roads has been enhanced by approximately 10% compared to previous models. Moreover, the load capacity range has been extended to accommodate up to 8 tons, adding stability while driving.
A noise-optimized pattern design has been implemented to reduce noise generation. The sidewall design has taken into account the aerodynamics of electric buses, and a cooling system has been enhanced to improve heat dissipation efficiency.
Hankook Tires is set to actively develop a dedicated portfolio of tires for electric trucks and buses starting with this launch. Plans are underway to develop ‘Aion City,’ focused on urban transport, and ‘Aion Flex,’ focused on medium to long-distance transport, rapidly expanding the tire options specifically for electric trucks and buses. These products are being prepared for entry into the European market.
Starting from January next year, Hankook will officially participate as the sole tire supplier and technical partner in the world’s top electric car racing competition, the ‘ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,’ 22/23 season. The extensive data related to electric vehicles acquired during the competition will be utilized in developing tires meant for consumer electric vehicles, building high expectations.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr