- Hyundai, Kia partner with Michelin to develop advanced low-resistance tyres.
- Collaboration targets improved fuel efficiency, braking, handling, and safety.
- New phase expands past research using virtual simulation and ULRR technology.
Hyundai Motor and Kia are collaborating with Michelin, a global tyre manufacturer, to create advanced tyres designed to enhance driving performance, fuel efficiency, and safety, as reported by Pulse, the English outlet of Maeil Business News Korea.
According to the report, Hyundai Motor and Kia, part of Hyundai Motor Group, entered into a memorandum of understanding at the Namyang research center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The arrangement establishes a three-year initiative beginning next year for collaborative efforts on innovative tyre technologies. Their primary objective is to reduce rolling resistance to enable cars to consume less fuel and to enhance handling and braking, allowing vehicles to react more effectively while driving.
"Through the third phase of technological collaboration with Michelin, we expect to achieve tyre technology innovations that will lead the future mobility market," the report quoted Shin Yong-suk, vice president and head of Genesis Engineering Design Center at Hyundai Motor Group. "By leveraging the specialized capabilities of both companies in mobility and tyre technologies, we will create a synergistic effect that will ultimately translate into improved driving performance."
Hyundai Motor Group and Michelin previously collaborated in 2017 and 2022 on innovative tire research. These initiatives involved creating tyre specifications for rear-wheel-drive electric vehicles and examining tyre wear. The updated plan expands on the previous projects and seeks to advance the research by incorporating virtual simulation tools into the process.
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Hyundai Motor Group has been working to obtain enhanced tyre technology as a component of its broader plan to increase the worth of its luxury vehicles. The report indicated that the group has recently obtained essential technology for ultra-low-rolling-resistance tyres, referred to as ULRR tyres. These tires assist a vehicle in moving ahead with reduced energy loss.
Hyundai's tech division spent three years from 2022 developing tyres for the facelifted Kia Sorento hybrid model, achieving a rolling resistance coefficient of 5.5, which the report described as cutting-edge mass-production technology.