Hankook Unveils Game-Changing Airless Tire i-Flex

By: | January 13th, 2022

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Changing a flat tire can be a daunting task. It is the most common problem, but tire manufacturers have not made any significant design improvements for a long time.

South Korea’s top tire maker Hankook Tire & Technology Co. has been working to make flat tires a thing of the past.

Recently it showcased its airless i-Flex concept tire at CES 2022 in Las Vegas. The U.S. i-Flex is meant to bring important benefits for the autonomous industry.

It would be a game-changer in the tire industry

Hankook teamed up with Hyundai for this airless concept tire i-Flex.  

While, Hankook makes tires for all types of vehicles, from small passenger cars to SUVs, trucks, RVs, buses, and even motorsports, Hyundai Motor Group is a well-known automotive manufacturer.

Hankook’s tires were fitted to the Hyundai Motor Group’s latest robotics module Plug & Drive

The futuristic i-Flex is a non-pneumatic concept tire. The tire is compact 10” in size with a diameter of 400 mm (15.7”) and a width of 105 mm (4.1”). Unlike conventional tires, the i-Flex will not require air-pressure monitoring or refills.

i-Flex is recyclable up to 95 percent

Thanks to its design, the i-Flex offers remarkable shock absorption and load-bearing capacity.  Its airless construction also makes it safer and reduces maintenance costs. Considerably lighter i-Flex will provide enhanced fuel economy and better vehicle handling.

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi is a gold medalist Post Graduate in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

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