Hankook and its Spanish vendor, Grupo Soledad, have reached an agreement with Spain’s biggest transportation company in the region of Catalonia, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), to supply city bus tires for the operator’s vehicle fleet. TMB’s fleet of buses will run on Hankook’s SmartCity AU04+ tire in size 275/70 R22.5.
The SmartCity tires are designed for urban transportation and are suitable for electric vehicles. An all-season tire, it is suitable for usage in all wintry conditions.
Han-Jun Kim, president of Hankook Tire Europe, stated, “The agreement with one of Europe’s biggest urban transport companies makes us very proud because it’s an agreement on the usage of our future-oriented technology. This will put the SmartCity AU04+, our first bus tire line for electric buses, on a large-scale level on the road. We look forward to expanding our fleet cooperations in Europe.”
With their shared environmental and economic responsibility policies, Hankook, Grupo Soledad and TMB have agreed to use worn tires after the first life cycle, and retread with the Hankook Alpha-Tread profiles.
Ramón Bacardí, director of TMB, commented, “The impeccable maintenance of our fleet is very important to keep urban bus transportation in Barcelona running at the best level. Especially in regards to the tires, it was important to find a reliable partner. With our vehicles now mounted on Hankook tires, our technicians and workshop managers have found the first choice to maximize the performance of our fleet. At the same time, we have optimized the total cost of ownership.”
Grupo Soledad’s commercial director, Manuel Pérez, added, “We are thrilled to have entered into this new cooperation with Hankook and TMB. Like us, both companies are constantly investing in new mobility concepts, materials and operation facilities. The cooperation thus perfectly underlines our commitment to sustainable transportation solutions.”
