Hankook launches iON EV-specific tyres in Malaysia – Formula E tech with low noise, low rolling resistance

Do EVs need special tyres? Strictly speaking, no. But electric vehicles can definitely benefit from tyres that are specifically designed for them, and there are a couple of areas that a tyre can focus on to best match the characteristics of EVs.

If you’re jumping into an EV for the first time, the most obvious difference for you will be the lack of familiar sounds from an internal combustion engine, replaced by a ‘woooo’ acceleration sound and then near silence from what otherwise would be the engine bay. After awhile, you might notice that the lack of engine sound means wind and road noise come to the fore. With road noise more apparent, an EV tyre has to work harder to combat that.

Another signature EV trait is max torque from standstill. That instant burst of acceleration is something that EV tyres will have to cope with, along with the high speeds that performance EVs are capable off. Therefore, it’s not as simple as making a quiet tyre in touring fashion, as performance matters greatly too.

EVs are heavy; there’s no running away from that. Battery packs cause EVs to be around 25-30% heavier that equivalent ICE cars and this is also taken into account by tyremakers. Of course, efficiency is important – the less rolling resistance, the more miles you’re going to get. Range is a big deal when it comes to EVs, so it’s a case of the more the merrier here.

While EVs are gaining a lot of prominence and every OEM is on the bandwagon now, you don’t hear much about EV tyres, do you? Hankook sees a gap and has come up with the iON sub-brand for EV tyres, which is now officially in Malaysia. Seen it before? Hankook is the official tyre supplier to Formula E, the pinnacle of EV racing, the electric equivalent of Formula 1.

Hankook says that the iON evo and iON evo SUV road tyres feature much of what’s good on its Formula E tyre, and that it has 58 exclusive technical patents (in profile/structure, pattern and compound) for EV tyres. To boost handling and grip needed for high-torque EVs, a high-concentration silica compound and 3D ‘GripKontrol’ sipes do their part.

Hankook’s ‘EV Contour Technology’ increases cornering stiffness by 10%. Also, a reinforcement belt mixed with the advanced Aramid fibre is applied to improve steering performance and to maintain an optimised shape during high-speed driving. Additionally, the pattern block rigidity was further optimised to prevent slippage caused by high torque, with extended outside shoulder blocks for maximum road contact.

The iON’s optimised ground pressure distribution feature reduces rolling resistance for more range, and as we all know, the more even the pressure, the better it is for wear. Speaking of wear, Hankook says that EVs will have 20% faster tyre wear compared to ICE cars – EV owners who have done substantial miles, what’s your experience?

See the layer of ‘sponge’ inside the tyre? That’s the Hankook Sound Absorber, an acoustic foam that optimises multi-pitch sequencing by minimising tread pattern noise. That may sound complicated, but the desired outcome can be easily experienced – a quiet and pleasant ride at all speeds.

Hankook says that when compared to regular high performance tyres, the iON boasts a significant 18% reduction in noise, 15% longer tread life, 6% increase battery range from the low rolling resistance, plus 10% better driving stability.

The South Korean company engaged Germany’s TUV SUD to test the iON with regular UHP rubber from Bridgestone (Potenza Sport), Goodyear (Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5) and Michelin (Pilot Sport 4 and Pilot Sport 4 Acoustic) and got a scoresheet that it wanted.

The average score of the competitors mentioned was higher than the iON in only two areas – wet handling (101.2% if the iON is 100%) and aquaplaning straight line (103.1% vs the iON’s 100%). The EV tyre came out tops in rolling resistance, wet braking, dry braking, dry handling and rolling noise categories. The breakdown of the scores are in the graphic below, which also shows the iON trumping the revered Michelin PS5 in Auto Bild’s tyre test. Sounds good.

“The introduction of our iON tyres is to meet the unique demands that high-performance EVs place on tyres. Hankook has extensive experience in developing tyres dedicated to EVs that are already being used by leading global automotive brands,” Seunghyun Kim, team manager of consumer marketing at Hankook Tire Malaysia, said at the iON recent launch event in Petaling Jaya.

“The iON tyres push the limits of performance EVs with class-leading handling, secure wet grip and enhanced mileage while delivering the low rolling resistance, safety and comfort that EV drivers appreciate,” he added.

The Hankook iON evo is currently available in sizes ranging from 18 to 21 inches in Malaysia, while the iON evo SUV is available in sizes ranging from 19 to 22 inches. As Hankook Tire Malaysia plans to cater to all battery-powered cars sold in our market, expect the size list to grow along with EV offerings.

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