What is the HPS-Cell concept from Hankook?

What is the HPS-Cell concept from Hankook?


3 minute read

For the past decade or more, tire manufacturers have been looking beyond the simple improvement of their current products. Rather, the trend is towards experimentation and futuristic prototypes that try to paint a picture of tomorrow’s transportation. Every year, we see interesting or completely new ideas such as airless tires or even tires that convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. But none of them seem as practical as Hankook‘s HPS-Cell concept.

 An innovative “driving platform”

More than a tire, what was unveiled by Hankook in November 2020 as part of its Design Innovation project is an actual concept car. Imagined for a high-tech city of the near future, the vehicle that would feature the HPS-Cell platform would be modular and autonomous. The HPS-Cells themselves are “unit cells” consisting of an axle, two airless tires and a host of sensors that would provide real-time tire and road conditions.

Thanks to this information, it would even be possible for the car to modify the tread pattern according to the condition of the road. When the tread is worn out, there is no need to buy a new tire! Instead, the HPS-Cell drives itself to a repair station where its tread is automatically replaced by another one. Easy as pie!

 Winner of the Red Dot 2021 design award

Of course, this is all utopian and we are still far from seeing autonomous pairs of wheels on our roads going to the garage by themselves. The concept, on the other hand, is quite interesting and has generated a lot of interest in the design world since last fall. After winning the iF Design Award 2021 in the Professional Concept category, the HPS-Cell system once again stood out at the Red Dot Awards in early August. Winner of the Concept category, it has now won two of the three most prestigious design awards in the world, with only the International Design Excellence Award remaining.

At least we don’t have to wait for this amazing concept to go into production to appreciate the imagination and know-how of Hankook’s engineers. Plus, with the vast inventory of models available on Blackcircles.ca, you’re sure to find one that suits you! For a balanced tire, you can turn to the Kinergy line, while off-road enthusiasts will prefer the Dynapro. Finally, if you really want to know all of the advantages Hankook has to offer, the Ventus ultra-high performance tires are the ones to try!

 

 

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