Last April, we were given a first look at the new Hankook iON line, their latest generation of tires for electric vehicles. All that was missing from the family was a quality winter tire that would be able to handle our Canadian winters.
Luckily, this past September, the company launched the Hankook iON Winter, a new way to enjoy the iON benefits on your EV. Now, even if you live in Quebec, you can legally enjoy it all year long! However, we have to ask ourselves the question: are there really any advantages to choosing such specialized tires?
EV’s specific needs
The answer lies in the design of the iON Winter, as well as that of other tires for electrically powered cars. The manufacturer has done everything possible to meet the requirements of green cars, which are very different from those of conventional vehicles.
Maintaining range, for example, is an important factor in the design of these new products. By reducing their rolling resistance, we can reduce the force required to move the car and, therefore, increase the longevity of the battery. Speaking of the battery, it brings additional weight that standard tires are not designed to support. The iONs, on the other hand, are particularly robust and resistant to frictional wear, thanks in part to an exclusive silica additive.
The quality of a Hankook iON Winter
The composition of the rubber is not the only aspect where the Korean manufacturer has been able to innovate. In terms of comfort, the Hankook Sound Absorber technology also allows for quieter driving with its sound wave reduction and active steering. The design of the tread allows it to be both quiet and adherent on all types of roads. The company claims that it is the use of natural oils that makes this possible. This would be the secret of their rubber’s tenderness, even under zero.
All this is not very surprising from Hankook, a company that is used to showing off its technology. For comfort, we only have to look at the Kinergy GT H436 while the Dynapro MT RT03 proves their robustness. These two models are already available on Blackcircles.ca! For the iON Winter, we will have to wait until next year’s second quarter, as for the iON evo AS all seasons.
