Hankook's Williams tells Tire Society to keep evolving

AKRON — Rob Williams said he knew he wasn't the typical keynote speaker at the Tire Society's annual conference on tire science and technology.

The president of Hankook Tire America, who oversees the U.S. and Canada regions for South Korea parent Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd., said just that to the scientists and engineers attending his Sept. 11 address in Akron.

Having spent more than three decades in the tire industry — mostly in sales, marketing and operations roles — Williams said he was the person who could give them the perspective from the consumer's point of view.

"But more importantly, I can connect the dots from what you do from engineering, all the way through until that product gets to the market," the Hankook executive said.

He started by reminding the audience of when certain technologies — such as cellphones, computers and TVs — weren't nearly what they are today. But that wasn't what the public thought at the time.

"The technology back in the day, we really thought that was the technology Xanadu," Williams said. "Today we continue to evolve and as a result, what we do today, we have to be the forefront of technology in our industry. We have to continue to evolve and push the limits."

Williams showed a photo of himself with his first car, a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. He recited the details like it was yesterday, rather than 40-plus years since the photo was taken in 1982.

It had a 327 cubic-inch engine with 210 horsepower. The tires were a G6014 belted bias tire — F78 Mohawk Rubber tires on the front.

"So I could literally remember that," Williams recalled. "But I can tell you what, when it rained, boy it was dangerous. When I hit the gas, it was dangerous."

While the tires on his ride were mismatched, he remembered what they were. "They weren't the greatest tires either, but the good thing is, I didn't have power steering or brakes. I didn't have AC," the keynoter said. "The only thing I had were basically those four tires holding that car to the ground."

Fast forward to today, and the current photo of Williams with a 2024 Camaro shows him with a few more pounds and a little less hair. And while the 1967 Camaro cost $3,400 and had 14-inch tires, today's model runs upwards of $50,000 with 20-inch tires.

But there's also this: the technology in the vehicle is second to none.

"The beauty is this vehicle today was designed with a certain type tire in mind," Williams said. "The tire, the vehicle basically were built together to make the ultimate driving experience. And the cool thing is, I still have standard fitment on my vehicle.

"With the new vehicle I have today, everything is about technology. Every last bit of it. And as a result, what's the most important thing about that vehicle today to me is the tire. It's the one thing that provides safety, handling, wet weather traction. All the characteristics that I really need in a vehicle."

The numbers are clear. Today's vehicle buyers prefer light trucks and sport-utility vehicles over traditional sedans — by a large margin.

Williams shared data that showed in 2012 passenger cars and LT/SUVs basically split the market, with sales of each a bit over 7.1 million units. By 2022, the share of SUVs and light trucks was more than triple that of sedans, 10.5 million vehicles sold compared with just shy of 3 million cars

"Evolution to the SUV and light truck is rapid," he said. "And the consumer needs are far different when you're driving an SUV. We're finding today that we have to continue pushing the limits of technology because the motoring public today is expecting something more and different than what they may have had 15 or 20 years ago."

With all of the technology tire makers play with, including AI and 3D design, it's no secret what really matters most to the consumer, he told the Tire Society audience.

"Yes they want performance. Yes they want a car that looks great. But what do they really want?" Williams asked. "They want to know that when they're taking their family from point A to point B, they're going to do it safely."

Because of a much higher adoption of tire safety features since 2004, he said there has been a 35% reduction in tire-related crashes. That statistic, in turn, was a big contributing factor in the 50% drop in traffic fatalities and a 42% decrease in injuries during that same period.

"If there is one takeaway from my talk today is the work you're doing is providing safer mobility for the consumer," he told the audience.

There is an ongoing debate around the electric vehicle (EV) market. Will it boom or stay flat? Will the growth be government-mandated?

Whether or not the consumer likes it, the fact is the technology is going to continue to advance. Williams noted that in 2016 EVs had a minimal impact in the market, with sales of just 200,000 units. But by 2023, sales had leapt to 1.6 million., and some expect that half of the vehicles sold by 2030 will be electric.

EV buyers are going to need a different type of tire than those driving internal combustion engines.

Hankook, he said, has been looking to address those needs with its iON line, tires made specifically for EVs.

"The first thing you have to do is identify is what the consumer needs," Williams said. "At the end of the day, when you think about it, you don't realize when the driver hits the gas, how quick that vehicle goes and what it does to the tire. That instant torque wears the tire."

Noise is another area getting much attention from tire designers, as those who have been driving ICE vehicles assume that engine noise is normal. "They don't know the difference until they get in an EV and all of the sudden it's whisper quiet."

Other factors to consider is battery range, where lower rolling resistance can help out, and how the weight of the battery has a lot to do with the wear on tires.

"Anybody who has an EV today realizes they need to get the same type of ride and the same performance they had when driving their ICE vehicles," Williams said. "We in this industry have to advance the technology because of what consumers are expecting when they buy these vehicles."