Premium tyre manufacturer Hankook introduces the iON FlexClimate, its inaugural all-season tyre for the European market for electric passenger cars and SUVs. 

Launching in Europe in October 2023, the iON FlexClimate will initially be available in eight popular sizes for passenger cars and SUVs in the EV segment, with plans for further expansion to include standard sizes ranging from 17 to 21 inches soon.

This innovative addition complements Hankook’s existing range, including the iON evo for summer and the iON icept for winter, creating a comprehensive tyre family designed to cater to current and forthcoming generations of electric vehicles. These Hankook iON offerings, when appropriately sized, can also enhance conventional and hybrid vehicles, showcasing advantages in energy efficiency, noise reduction, sustainability, and longevity.

The iON FlexClimate employs cutting-edge technology to deliver high performance in summer and moderate winter driving conditions. Notable features include exceptional wet surface grip, a substantial reduction in rolling resistance compared to standard tyres, and a robust yet lightweight construction tailored to the specific demands of electric vehicles.

A significant technical highlight of the iON FlexClimate lies in its specialised 3D sipes embedded in the tread. These enhance the tyre’s grip on wet and dry surfaces, even on light snow. The ProGrip tread compound, utilising high-density silica and sustainable materials, optimises adhesion on wet surfaces. To excel in snowy conditions, the tread design incorporates a high sipe density and “2-in-1” sipes and additional grooves within the individual tread blocks to ensure superior traction and braking performance. The iON FlexClimate carries the M+S and 3PMSF (Three-Peak-Mountain-Snow-Flake) labels, attesting to its suitability for year-round use across many European countries.

Addressing the weight dynamics inherent to electric vehicles, Hankook fortifies the iON FlexClimate with a reinforced belt featuring incredibly durable aramid fibres. This design distributes load evenly across the tread’s width, enabling a higher load index per tyre. This effectively counters deformation forces at higher speeds, ensuring precise steering and cornering stability while reducing tread wear. Additionally, the new Grip Boost technology, combined with the aramid belt, boosts the tyre’s sidewall rigidity by 20 percent compared to standard all-season tyres, enhancing driving comfort and vehicle control.

The iON FlexClimate’s specially formulated tread mixture, rich in natural resin, delivers impressive durability and reduced abrasion compared to conventional counterparts. Its high adhesion capabilities facilitate the secure transfer of the high drive torques of electric vehicles to the road. The increased use of natural oils not only heightens sustainability but also extends the lifespan of the tread. As a result, the Hankook iON FlexClimate requires less material for the same mileage, resulting in an overall lighter tyre. This translates to lower energy consumption while driving and reduced energy usage during production.

Incorporating modern mixing techniques and Hankook’s Opti-Cure technology, the tread design of the iON FlexClimate minimises unnecessary tread movements, further lowering energy loss and rolling resistance. The Hankook iON FlexClimate contributes to an extended range per battery charge.

Given the absence of a combustion engine, electric vehicles place greater emphasis on minimising sources of noise. To address this, the iON tyre family incorporates Hankook i Sound Absorber technology and is designed for exceptional aerodynamics, resulting in markedly lower noise levels than standard tyres.

Hankook introduces a new iON technology system, enhancing efficiency in research and development, particularly for the company’s EV tyres. This comprehensive system encompasses four key technologies: i Sound Absorber (noise reduction), i Super Mileage (wear resistance), i Perfect Grip (adhesion), and i Extreme Lightness (rolling resistance). Based on approximately 58 patented technologies, including noise reduction and ProDurable compound technology, this system underpins the development of the iON tyre family.

Tyre manufacturer Michelin has announced the expansion of its crane tyre range with the launch of the MICHELIN X-CRANE 2 445/95 R 25, designed for mobile and all-terrain cranes.

The new tyre, which follows an initial size released with constructor Spierings last summer, combines a civil engineering casing with a truck tyre tread and represents over a decade of specialist expertise, according to the French company.

Michelin claims the new product is five percent lighter than its predecessor, the MICHELIN X-CRANE +. It features an improved load and speed index that has shifted from 174F to 178F, allowing vehicles to carry heavier loads at higher speeds.

“MICHELIN X-CRANE 2 can carry 800 kg more per tyre when travelling at 80 kph. This increased load capacity represents an additional load of 1.6 metric tonnes per axle," the company stated.

Safety improvements include enhanced braking performance. Michelin claims comparative tests showed their main competitor needed 27 percent more braking distance, equating to approximately 10.5 metres or “2-3 car lengths."

The M+S-certified tyre incorporates Michelin’s REGENION technology, which utilises metal 3D printing to create what the company describes as "self-regenerating treads". This feature reportedly maintains consistent grip throughout the tyre's lifespan regardless of conditions.

Additionally, Michelin states the technology delivers fuel consumption reductions exceeding 13 percent, potentially saving around 826 litres of fuel and €1,321.60 for cranes travelling 10,000 kilometres.

The new size has been homologated for numerous machines across European and American markets, including models from Liebherr, Grove, Tadano and Linkbelt.

Nexen Tire, a global leader in tyre manufacturing, has received approval from Škoda for its N'FERA Sport ultra-high-performance (UHP) flagship summer tyre to be used as original equipment for the new Škoda Karoq SUV.

The Karoq is ideally matched with N'FERA Sport in size 215/50R18 W XL tire, which was created especially for the European market and made in Europe. It offers improved handling and stability even at high speeds. The N'Fera Sport (size 225/40R18) is already recognised by the ADAC Summer test 2025 and earns a strong overall rating for driving safety, comfort and environmental performance. The ADAC rates it as having a very good rating among competitors due to its short braking distance from 100 kmph. It also outperforms the norm in aquaplaning and wet braking.

Edwin van der Stad, Vice President Europe Original Equipment at Nexen Tire, said, “We are thrilled to receive this homologation for the N’FERA Sport on the Škoda Karoq. As our flagship summer product, the N'FERA Sport represents the peak of our tyre technology, designed to deliver outstanding performance and safety. Achieving the most homologations among our products, it is a true testament to the tyre's quality and our dedication to excellence. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Škoda, enhancing the driving experience for their customers worldwide.”

Toyota Motor Corporation has selected Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd’s DUNLOP GRANDTREK H/T31 tyre as original equipment (OE) in Japan for its recently launched LEXUS GX550 SUV.

In addition to the dependability and durability that the GRANDTREK series has established, the GRANDTREK H/T31 aims for on-road performance. The product uses new tread rubber and a H/T (Highway Terrain) pattern to provide a high level of anti-wear performance, good fuel efficiency and quiet operation. In order to increase visibility and create a more opulent overall design appeal, the tyres also employ the Nano Black design method, which colours brand insignia on tyre sidewalls a darker shade of black.

With its powerful but economical engine and sturdy construction, the new GX550 offers exceptional driving performance. With its unique design, cutting-edge suspension and driving support system, and 18-inch tyres, the OVERTRAIL+ delivers both off-road and on-road performance. Toyota SUVs have long been equipped with DUNLOP's GRANDTREK line of tyres as standard equipment.

Lucid Motors has selected Hankook Tire’s EV-exclusive all-season tyre, the iON evo AS SUV, as original equipment (OE) for its all-new electric SUV, the Lucid Gravity, designed for the North American Market.

Through its partnership with Lucid Motors, Hankook Tire has unveiled the iON evo AS SUV as a high-performance all-season tyre designed especially for big electric SUVs. The tyre's next-generation compound design combines high-performance polymers, environmentally friendly components, and high-concentration silica to provide outstanding grip and improved mileage performance in a variety of driving circumstances throughout the year. Notably, the tyre's stiffness profile has been tuned to support the heavier EV battery packs while maintaining a consistent road contact pressure to improve driving stability.

Its tread shape also permits even wear, increasing the tyre's longevity. The tyres greatly reduce rolling resistance and efficiently reduce noise by carefully balancing the size and quantity of tread blocks. Drivers who want a dynamic driving experience may retain great energy economy thanks to this design's improvements.

The Lucid Gravity, a full-size, three-row SUV and Lucid Motors' second all-electric vehicle model, was just introduced in the US. The Lucid Gravity has a sleek body and an elegant interior. It has a range of more than 700 kilometres on a single charge, can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in only 3.5 seconds and produces up to 828 horsepower in Grand Touring configuration. Actual results will vary depending on temperature, driving behaviour, battery state and charging.