Hankook has unveiled its first EV summer tire with ISCC Plus certification – the Ion Evo.
The new tire is derived from the Ion Race tire, which has been used exclusively on the vehicles competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since 2023, and which consists of 45% sustainable raw materials. The Ion Evo is original equipment for the updated Porsche Taycan, and is the first tire in the vehicle OEM’s original equipment range with the certification.
“The ISCC Plus-certified Ion Evo represents the culmination of our ambition to produce tires that are truly more sustainable,” said Klaus Krause, vice president and head of the Europe Technical Center at Hankook.
“We are also very proud that our European production plant in Hungary, where the Ion Evo is produced, is the second Hankook site worldwide to receive the coveted ISCC Plus certification. The fact that Porsche has chosen the Ion Evo as original equipment for the new Taycan is, of course, a big vote of confidence for us.
“Thanks to our motorsport-proven technologies, the Hankook tire with its increased sustainability and optimized rolling resistance makes a significant contribution to increasing the range of the high-performance electric sports car.”
Despite the inclusion of 45% sustainable materials, the developers at Hankook were keen to avoid compromising on the Ion Evo’s safety and performance. The engineers used renewable and recycled materials that match the strength, flexibility and durability of conventional tire components – these include bio-based silica from grain waste, recycled PET textile cord from plastic waste, bio-circular synthetic rubber from bio-circular feedstocks, recycled carbon black from used tires and natural resin. The Hankook team responsible for the development of the tire was also able to leverage the knowledge gained from Formula E.
The Ion Evo, with the ISCC Plus logo on its sidewall, is making its debut as original equipment for the Porsche Taycan in sizes 245/40 R21Y XL (FA) and 285/35 R21Y XL (RA). Like the other tires in the Ion family, it uses a tread mixture with plant-based oils. This not only makes the tread more sustainable overall, but also has a positive effect on durability. Hankook engineers also used reinforced material to increase lateral stiffness. The Ion Evo offers reduced rolling resistance compared to a conventional tire, which increases the range per battery charge of the Taycan.
