Press Release

  • Car / SUV

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

The “Design Innovation” project organised by Hankook every two years in collaboration with internationally renowned design universities will be concluded at the Motor Show in Essen this year. The motto of the design studies prepared in 2018 in cooperation with the London Royal College of Art was “Extending Future Life beyond Mobility”. Now the tyre maker is presenting the winning entries “Aeroflow” and “Hexonic” by the London-based design students in Europe for the first time. The innovation project initiated by Hankook is intended to motivate design students to develop ideas which go beyond the limits of today’s tyre and mobility developments.
Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 29 November 2018 – At this year’s Essen Motor Show, premium tyre maker Hankook Tire is once again concentrating on future topics and presenting two futuristic concept tyres, the Aeroflow and the Hexonic. The innovation concept initiated with the London Royal College of Art this year within the context of the Hankook “Design Innovation” was launched under the motto “Extending Future Life beyond Mobility”. The task the participating students were set was to develop a new tyre concept for autonomous vehicles and thus to create a whole new experience for mobility of the future. Evaluation criteria for choosing the winners included attractiveness for the user, design and the implementation of convincing technical principles.

“This project is part of our effort to find creative and efficient solutions for mobility of the future,” explained Klaus Krause, Head of the European Research and Development Centre at Hankook. “We are very pleased to be presenting creative contributions that demonstrate the out-of-the-box mindset that we also promote in our employees. Over the past few years, the project has already contributed to the development of innovative tyres. We will no doubt continue to develop new visions that go beyond the limits of current tyres and mobility.”

“Hexonic” is an intelligent tyre concept for autonomous shared mobility vehicles. The designer considered completely autonomous, driverless vehicles as the standard for future cities and developed a tyre for jointly used cars. Passenger comfort is the deciding factor for the driving experience here. The Hexonic supports the vehicle’s efforts to offer maximum driving comfort by scanning and analysing the road in real time using seven separate sensors. This way, the tyre records road conditions such as grip, temperature and state of the road surface and adapts the tyre treads accordingly.

The “Aeroflow” is a tyre for maximum downforce designed for use in motorsports. To achieve this, the wheel has been widened through a separable tread and the tyre grip has been optimised. The wheels have been equipped with turbine impellers to pick up the air during driving and use this to generate additional downforce if necessary. The focus of the design on downforce, which is not generally taken into consideration during tyre development, is what makes the draft so unique.

Following their European première at the Essen Motor Show, the award-winning concept tyres will be on show at further European trade fairs next year.

Hankook Tire manufactures globally innovative, award-winning radial tyres of proven superior quality for passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs, RVs, trucks, and buses as well as motorsports (circuit racing/street circuits/rallies).

Aspiring to bring consumers the utmost excellence in product quality, technological excellence and driving satisfaction, Hankook Tire continuously invests in research and development maintaining five R&D centres and eight production facilities around the world. Bespoke tyre solutions for the European markets as well as European Original Equipment according to the requirements of leading premium car manufacturers, are developed in the company’s regional Technical Centre in Hanover/Germany. Production for the European region is taking place in the state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Rácalmás/Hungary which was inaugurated in June 2007 and is continuously being expanded.

Hankook Tire’s European headquarters are located in Neu-Isenburg near Frankfurt am Main in Germany. The manufacturer operates further branches in several European countries and sells its products through regional distributors in other local markets. Hankook Tire employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide and sells products in over 160 countries. The company has been the technical partner and exclusive tyre supplier of the Generation 3 for the FIA ABB Formula E World Championship since 2023. Internationally leading car manufacturers rely on tyres made by Hankook for their original equipment. Approximately 38 percent of the company's global sales are generated within the European region.

For more information please visit www.hankooktire-mediacenter.com or www.hankooktire.com

Hankook Tire Europe GmbH | Marketing Communications Europe | Siemensstr. 14, 63263 Neu-Isenburg | Germany

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Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

At the Motor Show in Essen 2018 Hankook is presenting the winning entries of the “Design Innovation” project: “Aeroflow” and “Hexonic”.

File size: 271 KB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

The “Aeroflow” is a tyre for maximum downforce designed for use in motorsports. To achieve this, the wheel has been widened through a separable tread and the tyre grip has been optimised.

File size: 2 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

The “Aeroflow” is a tyre for maximum downforce designed for use in motorsports.

File size: 435 KB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

The "Aeroflow" tyres have been equipped with turbine impellers to pick up the air during driving and use this to generate additional downforce if necessary.

File size: 931 KB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

“Hexonic” is an intelligent tyre concept for autonomous shared mobility vehicles.

File size: 411 KB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

“Hexonic” is an intelligent tyre concept for autonomous shared mobility vehicles. The Hexonic supports the vehicle’s efforts to offer maximum driving comfort by scanning and analysing the road in real time using seven separate sensors.

File size: 3 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

The Hexonic supports the vehicle’s efforts to offer maximum driving comfort by scanning and analysing the road in real time using seven separate sensors.

File size: 2 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

The “Aeroflow” is a tyre for maximum downforce designed for use in motorsports. The focus of the design on downforce, which is not generally taken into consideration during tyre development, is what makes the draft so unique.

File size: 8 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

“Hexonic” is an intelligent tyre concept for autonomous shared mobility vehicles.

File size: 903 KB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

“Hexonic” is an intelligent tyre concept that records road conditions such as grip, temperature and state of the road surface and adapts the tyre treads accordingly.

File size: 1 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

“Hexonic” is an intelligent tyre concept for autonomous shared mobility vehicles. The designer considered completely autonomous, driverless vehicles as the standard for future cities and developed a tyre for jointly used cars.

File size: 8 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

The Hexonic supports the vehicle’s efforts to offer maximum driving comfort by scanning and analysing the road in real time using seven separate sensors.

File size: 2 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

“Hexonic” is an intelligent tyre concept for autonomous shared mobility vehicles. The designer considered completely autonomous, driverless vehicles as the standard for future cities and developed a tyre for jointly used cars.

File size: 8 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 1 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 1 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 2 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messestand

File size: 2 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 2 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 2 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 1 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messestand

File size: 1 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 1 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messestand

File size: 1 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 2 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 2 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 1 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 1 MB

Hankook Tire presents new futuristic concept tyres at the Essen Motor Show 2018

Motorshow Essen 2018 Hankook Messe Stand

File size: 2 MB

Contacts

Sabine Riedel

PR Manager Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 6102 8149-178

Lisa Schmid

PR Manager Marketing Communications

+49 (0) 6102 8149-172

Annika Malcherek

Annika Malcherek

Digital Lead Marketing Communications

+49 (0) 6102 8149-176

Julia-Larissa Büsch

PR Manager Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 160 2545279

Zoë Baldwin

Marketing Manager
Hankook Tyre UK Ltd

 +44 7948 247048

Natasha Ramos Smyth

Marketing Executive
Hankook Tyre UK Ltd

 +44 7961 601839

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