The Hankook Ventus S1 evo 3 ev tire – developed specifically for electric vehicles – will be supplied to Audi as the original equipment for the OEM’s Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron vehicles.
To ensure the tire meets the requirements of the EVs, engineers at Hankook added a double-layer carcass made of a specially developed high-performance fiber to the Ventus S1 evo 3 ev. This delivers a high level of stability and ensures a low tare weight of the tire relative to its size. The tire’s tread pattern has also been adapted to deliver grip in both wet and dry scenarios, and to optimize rolling resistance.
The 20in and 21in dimension tires for the Audi monikers will feature an additional steel-based reinforcement in the bead area. This is due to the reduced flank height, and to further increase sidewall rigidity. The reinforcement will also improve steering response.
To prevent punctures from delaying journeys, Hankook’s Sealguard technology features on the 20in and 21in tires. The solution negates the need for a spare tire, and works to automatically seal any hole up to 5mm in diameter in the tire’s tread surface.
“As a development partner of Audi, we have implemented a number of successful projects together in recent years,” says Sanghoon Lee, president of Hankook Tire Europe. “Being able to help switch the portfolio over to electric vehicles by providing suitable tires therefore means a lot to us. In doing so, we are also making an important contribution to increasingly sustainable mobility.”
