SEOUL, South Korea (Aug. 8, 2013) — Hankook Tire Co. Ltd.'s "eMembrane" concept tire, produced in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati, has received the Winner Label from the Red Dot Award 2013 for concept design.
The eMembrane is a multi-use tire for both performance and regular city driving, the tire maker said. It is capable of transforming its tire profile through internal structure changes in accordance with different driving conditions.
When driving at high speeds, the tire's tread center extends to generate maximum ground friction through wider ground contact area, which Hankook said maximizes grip power to execute dynamic cornering and performance driving.
Conversely, when driving at low speeds, the tread is designed to reduce the road contact area and ground friction so that the tire's fuel efficiency is enhanced by reducing rolling resistance, the company said. To signal the changes in eMembrane's driving modes, an LED system is equipped in the tire's sidewall for an operation alert.
The design previously won a 2013 iF Concept Design Award last May.