Hankook iON wins Auto Bild EV tire test

- Premium tires for electric vehicles impress safety, rolling resistance, and comfort

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, April 6, 2023 - Global leading tire company Hankook Tire’s iON evo, the premium tire specially designed for electric vehicles, secured the test victory in the latest Auto Bild “Reifencheck” tire test, receiving the rating “Very Good.” The trade journal compared three summer tires in size 245/45 R 19 102 Y and assessed whether top performance and excellent safety properties reconcile with the requirements for the lowest possible rolling resistance while also achieving maximum range. Auto Bild positively concluded, “With the iON evo from Hankook, which is specially designed for electric vehicles, we don’t have to choose between safety and driving pleasure on the one hand and range and environment on the other. The balancing act between these very different requirements succeeds convincingly.”

In the new “Reifencheck” test format, the Auto Bild team carefully examined the required properties of EV tires. Electric vehicles react differently to driving commands and dynamics than conventional combustion engines due to the immediately available torque and their higher dead weight. In a direct comparison, the premium tire iON evo was particularly convincing in the braking tests on dry and wet roads, topping the standings in both. The tire particularly excelled on the wet surfaces, taking the lead and bringing the test vehicle to a standstill almost four meters earlier than the runner-up. The Hankook iON evo also took the top spot on the podium for wet surface handling thanks to the “Hankook Sound Absorber” and had the lowest pass-by noise. Finally, the Hankook iON evo combines outstanding safety-relevant qualities with a significantly lower rolling resistance of just 6.21 kg/t. This was the lowest in the test, almost 1.5 kg/t less than the closest competitor. For comparison, a rolling resistance reduced by one kg/t increases the range by around four percent. In the specific Auto Bild test, this translates to about 30 kilometers further driving distance.

With the development of the new iON tire family, Hankook Tire is reacting to the mobility transition towards emission-free vehicles. The iON combines reduced rolling resistance, particularly low-noise rolling behavior, and excellent driving dynamics qualities. Compared to conventional tires, this means more range per battery charge, maximum safety, and a better driving experience for EV drivers.

“The Hankook iON is our tailor-made answer to the rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles and the associated need for suitable tires,” said Klaus Krause, Head of the Hankook Europe Technical Centre (ETC). “The ‘Very Good’ result in the Auto Bild test proves that our products offer electric vehicle drivers a great advantage over conventional tires.”