Hankook testing non-pneumatic tire

SEOUL, South Korea (July 15, 2015) — Hankook Tire Co. Ltd. has completed ride and handling tests for its latest non-pneumatic tire (NPT), the Hankook iFlex, which it said is made using eco-friendly materials.

Hankook said it has been working on developing an NPT since 2011. The iFlex is the fifth NPT concept tire that the company has released.

The tire maker said it has put the iFlex through a serious of rigorous tests designed to push the tires to their limits in five categories: durability, hardness, stability, slalom and speed. In the speed test, the electric car equipped with iFlex tires reached 81 mph. The results in all five categories demonstrated that the NPTs could match conventional tires in terms of performance, Hankook claims.

Construction of the iFlex is centered on a new polyurethane type of uni-material designed to maximize the tire's eco-friendly potential, the tire maker said. The material used during product construction enhances energy efficiency and improves the tire's recyclability.

Hankook said it is also integrating new tire construction techniques to simplify the manufacturing process to four stages from eight stages, thus reducing the company's carbon footprint.

“The Hankook iFlex's ability to deliver the perfect high-speed driving performance is the result of Hankook Tire's longstanding commitment to independently developing progressive, innovative tire technology. Aiming to strengthen our technological leadership in the global tire market, we will continue to develop cutting edge eco-friendly and future-oriented tires,” said Seung-Hwa Suh, Hankook Tire vice chairman and CEO.