Improvements to the typical car tire have occurred incrementally since its inception, but over the next ten years, the average rubber roller can become a subject put to rest. Hankook (as well as other manufacturers such as Michelin and Bridgestone ) are prepping next-generation tires that are airless, recyclable, and quite odd searching.
Shown at this year’s International Motor Show in Frankfurt, the Hankook iFlex radically differs from the norm by combining a tire and wheel together into a solitary object. The spinner doesn’t need any atmosphere to roll, which means that forget about flats or unexpected accidents. This is probably what prompted tire manufacturer Hankook to continually conduct research on non-pneumatic tires (NPT). The tests included how these tires would fare in harshness, durability, security, slalom or abrupt lane changes, and high rate. The electric vehicle utilized for the test was brought up to a sustained speed of 130kph. The result? According to Hankook, such tires are at par with conventional, air-filled ones.
Aside from the apparent advantages of having airless tires, NPTs are likewise constructed using purely recyclable materials. This means they are manufactured using eco-friendly procedures. As soon as their life cycle is up, they may be recycled to make new, useful materials, and won’t clog up some landfill.
The high-speed testing of the Hankook iFlex is just one phase of Hankook’s continued quest to bring consumers the tire into the future. Programs such since the Design Innovation project while the Next Driving Lab have been working closely with students, engineers and designers, to pick their brains on whatever they think is the best and a lot of creative solutions and ideas for tomorrow’s driving experience.
With tires like the Hankook i-Flex airless tire, you might have one less product to tick on your maintenance list. Not to mention, flat tires may just be anything of this past.