Hyundai Motor Group and Michelin have signed an MOU on making environmentally friendly tires that are optimized for electric vehicles (EVs) in the premium range.
The two companies hope to produce the next-gen EV tires after an initial partnership was completed. They entered the first agreement in 2017 to develop an exclusive tire for the IONIQ 5 EV.
It included experiments and analysis of tire-making methods and the exchange of technologies.
The tires that will come from this new partnership, lasting three years, will be eco-friendly and made from more eco-friendly materials. The eco-friendly materials will account for 50 percent of the total tire weight, up from 20 percent. They will be capable of real-time monitoring to help in autonomous driving. They will be built to be durable and help the car to achieve the highest electric efficiency for the longest possible driving ranges, despite the heavier weight of EVs.
The duo also said the tires will be designed to offer more than the standard requirements in tire temperature and air pressure.
Hyundai will use the new tires on its premium EVs. They will reduce vibration and noise, making the ride more comfortable.
Due to the greater pressure on EV tires, they are prone to wearing out faster and causing more particulate emissions.
Describing the Hyundai-Michelin partnership, VP of Hyundai, Bong-soo Kim, said, “This partnership with Michelin will result in real innovations in tire technology, solidifying Hyundai Motor Group’s position as a leader in the smart mobility industry. By fully leveraging our mobility technology and Michelin’s tire expertise, we are confident in our ability to achieve ground-breaking innovations in tire performance enhancement and create synergies in this organic collaboration.”
