Hankook i-Flex: Tyres Reconceptualised at IAA 2013

FRANKFURT – Sept 9, 2013: Hankook i-Flex offers a look into the future of tyres, by driving on airless tyres.

Trend-setting tyre solutions for the demands of future-oriented mobility systems are taking centre stage at Hankook Tire’s presence at the Frankfurt International Auto Show 2013.

The optimisation of conventional vehicles with regard to tyres as well as studies for sustainable mobility that combine efficiency and eco-friendliness will be focal points.

In addition to premieres and innovations in the fields of green tires, performance, safety and premium original equipment, award-winning hybrids design-concepts as well as a new generation of airless, almost entirely recyclable tyres are further highlights on the Hankook Tire’s booth.

There is an increasing demand for innovative and smart solutions by suppliers to optimise vehicle efficiency within the automobile industry. In addition to safety and comfort, features like environmental-friendliness and sustainability are becoming ever more important.

Hankook i-Flex
A futuristic design concept, the Hankook i-Flex is an airless wheel and tyre, all in one.

Aiming to keep losses to a minimum when converting energy, Hankook Tire’s engineers have reconceptualised the automobile tyre. With the Hankook Tire’s i-Flex, the company presents the prototype of a non-pneumatic tire that will help increase the overall efficiency of vehicles thereby improving their energy balance.

With 95 percent of its construction being recyclable, the Hankook i-Flex is made from polyurethane synthetics, with the tyre manufactured in conjunction with its rim as one unit. It is considerably lighter than conventional wheel-tire combinations and does not require air like conventional pneumatic tyres, able to offer shock absorbency through the unique design. Fuel consumption and noise emissions are thus optimised while simultaneously increasing vehicle safety.

Displayed at the Frankfurt show on an ABT-tuned Volkswagen Up!, the Hankook i-Flex tyre specification is 155/590 14 (155mm wide, 590mm diameter, 14-inch ‘simulated’ wheel size).

Through Hankook Tire’s hands-on display and video guides, visitors to the Frankfurt show can alter the colours of the Hankook i-Flex.

At the 65th IAA (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung), September 12-22, in Frankfurt, premium tyre manufacturer Hankook Tire will present its latest innovations, production-ready prototypes and trend-setting tire concepts designed to meet the demands of future mobility, in Hall 8, Stand 24.