Hankook launches new all-season tyre for electric vehicles

Hankook has launched its first all-season tyre specifically for electric vehicles (passenger cars and SUVs) in the European market with the new iON FlexClimate.

The Hankook iON FlexClimate lines up alongside the summer tyre tread for electric passenger cars and SUVs, the Hankook iON evo, and the corresponding winter tread, the Hankook iON i*cept, to complete the South Korean’s range of tyres for current and future electric vehicles.

Hankook said that all iON products in the appropriate size can also be used on conventional vehicles with combustion or hybrid drive, where they demonstrate their advantages compared to conventional tyres, particularly in terms of energy consumption, noise level, resource conservation and durability.

Thanks to the latest technologies, the new iON FlexClimate offers high performance for both summer and moderate winter driving conditions, according to Hankook.

In addition to excellent grip on wet surfaces, Hankook said the main features include a particularly low rolling resistance compared to conventional tyres and a construction that is optimised for weight and yet extremely robust, both of which are tailored specifically to the requirements of electric vehicles.

The new iON FlexClimate will initially be available in eight sizes for passenger cars and SUVs. The size portfolio will then be expanded in the short-term to include other common sizes between 17 and 21 inches, Hankook confirmed.

“With the new iON FlexClimate, we are fulfilling the wishes of many electric vehicle drivers for a tyre that offers outstanding performance the whole year round for this type of drive as well,” said Sanghoon Lee, president of Hankook Tire Europe.

“Whether in dry weather, rain or snow, our new all-season tyres from the iON series deliver a very high level of driving safety, help to extend the range per battery charge, handle high vehicle weights with ease, and are very quiet into the bargain.”