Hankook unveils two new EV summer tires

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Hankook Tire America Corp. took a good thing and took it further.

The Nashville-based tire maker on June 26 unveiled two new summer tires that fit right into its iON EV tire line.

Meet the iON evo and iOn evo SUV.

"Following the launch of our first iON all-season tires in the fall, which was met with great excitement in the North American EV segment, these new products meet the demands of high-performance electric cars and SUVs in summer conditions, when drivers can most enjoy the open road and get the most out of their vehicles," Hankook Tire America President Rob Williams said in a statement.

"With iON evo and iON evo SUV, drivers who have made the switch to electric can count on Hankook to continue delivering impressive mileage, performance and comfort for their EVs on those long summer days, no matter what conditions they face."

Meeting the expectations of EV drivers can be challenging because the vehicles they drive, simply, demand more from the tires. Tires have to be robust enough to manage the weight of EVs, durable enough to withstand the torque and regenerative braking and canny enough to extend mileage—all while dampening road noise to help maintain quiet, comfortable rides.

The new tires, Hankook said, do all of that.

"Hankook's new iON tires are tailored to meet these unique demands," the company said in a news release. "The iON evo and iON evo SUV push the limits of performance EVs with class-leading handling, wet grip and enhanced mileage, while delivering the low rolling resistance and cabin comfort that EV drivers have come to expect."

It starts with the tire maker's propriety "ProDurable Compound," which brings together a high silica concentration and a range of eco-friendly materials that help to evenly distribute the road pressure, which ultimately contributes to the extension of tire life. When it comes to comes the reduction of rolling resistance, iExtremeLightness technology plays a key role, in helping EVs go further with every charge.

And they do that quietly.

"Hankook's engineers have built these new tires with optimized multi-pitch sequencing to minimize tread pattern noise, reducing cabin noise by 18 percent compared to regular tires" Hankook said in a statement.

Another thing Hankook engineers built into the iON evo and iON evo SUV? Safety.

It's built into the "Grip Boost" technology the tires employ. And it's a technology Hankook says increases shoulders stiffness by 10 percent. Meanwhile, advanced Aramid fibers improve steering performance while enhanced shoulder blocks help to ensure maximum road contact by maintaining optimal rigidity.

The Hankook iON evo SUV is available in eight sizes for rim fitments of 18 to 22 inches. The iON evo, meanwhile, fits rim diameters of 18 to 21 inches. It also is available in eight sizes.

Both tires come with 30-day free trials.

"The acceleration in the performance EV market means that drivers are looking for tires that maximize their experience during the varied conditions that summer driving can bring," said Kijong Kil, Vice President of RE Development, Hankook Tire. "iON evo and iON evo SUV expand Hankook's offering for EV owners seeking the best performance from their vehicles while getting the best out of the electric cars and SUVs they drive. We're confident that these new products deliver the outstanding electric performance that is a hallmark of the iON line-up."

Other tires available in the Hankook iON line include iON evo AS and iON evo AS SUV, both of which launched in December.