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international news
Hankook Tire Introduces Truck & Bus Tyre Smart iON AU06+
Hankook Tire announced the launch of the Smart iON AU06+,
(TBR) tyre in its ‘iON (pronounced as / ai’on/)’ product portfolio, for premium electric vehicles (EVs) in the Korean market. The Smart iON AU06+ is the most recent addition to its iON tyre fam- ily, which includes summer and winter tyres for passenger EVs.
The Smart iON AU06+ incorporates Hankook’s innovative EV tyre technology response and high load support. It is a re-branded and upgraded version of tyre exclusively for electric buses that was previously launched by the company in 2020. To counter characteristics such as the higher vehicle weight of electric bus- of the drive batteries - and high instant torque delivered to the wheels, Hankook strengthened grip on wet roads by about 10 per cent compared to the previous Smart City AU06 model. The load-carry- ing capacity is increased to eight tonnes, accommodating a stable driving experi- ence even with heavy loads.
Hankook employed an abrasion resist- ant tread compound for improved tread designed compound of the Smart iON
48 the tyreman 2022/5
AU06+ allows for uniform pressure dis- tribution, considerably extending the ve- hicle’s mileage in comparison to conven- when mounted on an electric bus, tests had shown that Hankook’s Smart iON AU06+ increased the vehicle’s mileage by 25 per cent compared to when the ve- - lar bus tyres.
Another development goal for the Smart iON AU06+ was to improve ride quality through optimal ride comfort and low noise. In consideration of the aerodynamic aspect of the electric bus, the Smart iON AU06+ features a specif- ically designed tread pattern distributed along the sidewall to reduce noise. In addition, the Smart iON AU06+ features a cooling system to overcome compli- cations such as overheating to ensure a safer drive.
With the launch of the Smart iON AU06+, Hankook Tire plans to establish an exten- sive electric TBR tyre portfolio to include - ing. Currently, development plans for two - lines, including the Hankook iON CITY that is designed for urban driving and Hankook iON FLEX for mid to long distance travel. Upon completion, these two new products are to be supplied in the European mar-
ket. They would be available in other glob- al markets sequentially as further market expansion are being planned.
Furthermore, Hankook Tire is demon- strating its expertise in the EV tyre seg- ment by becoming the new and exclu- sive technical partner and tyre supplier of the ABB FIA Formula E World Cham- - ing series for the 2022/23 season. The company plans to utilise the data and experience accumulated from the part- nership to further advance its innovative tyre technology for its consumer tyre product lines.
