Hyundai and Michelin to Develop Next-Gen Tires for EVs

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

While the automotive industry is focusing on switching to electric vehicles as a way to curb emissions and fight global warming, individual car components, like tires, still have a long way to go before they become environmentally friendly. Once tires are worn out, the majority of them get dumped in a landfill or are burnt. A new partnership between Hyundai and Michelin looks to change that. 

Eco-Friendly Tires In The Work

Before we get into what's going on with the new companies, we should point out that some of the chemical components of tires can be turned into biofuels. Additionally, recovery rates for tires have increased over the last decade or so in large countries like the U.S., Japan, and Europe. 

Some tire manufacturers have come out with eco-friendly tires that are produced in a more environmentally friendly process and have an eye toward fuel economy. Quite a few tire companies, like Bridgestone, Continental, Falken, Firestone, Goodyear, Hankook, Pirelli, and Michelin have an eco-friendly line of tires.  

Next-Gen Tires For Future Hyundais

The memorandum of understanding between Hyundai and Michelin will result in a partnership that aims to increase the usage of sustainable materials in tires. The two companies will also work together on developing the next generation of tires that will be used on "premium electric vehicles." Hyundai claims that the partnership will explore ways to "increase the use of eco-friendly materials in tires to about 50 percent of the total tire weight from 20 percent currently."

"This partnership with Michelin will result in real innovations in tire technology, solidifying Hyundai Motor Group's position as a leader in the smart mobility industry," Vice President Kim said in a statement. "By fully leveraging our mobility technology and Michelin's tire expertise, we are confident in our ability to achieve ground-breaking innovations in tire performance enhancement and create synergies in this organic collaboration."

These next-gen tires will be used on future electric vehicles from Hyundai. As Hyundai points out in its press release, electric vehicles require special tires compared to gas-powered cars. Electric vehicles create a large amount of instant torque, tend to be heavier than similarly equipped gas-powered cars, and require efficient tires that don't decrease range. The two companies will look into tire wear, road friction, tire load, and ride comfort for the new tires. 

The new memorandum of understanding follows up on the two companies' first partnership that ran for five years and was originally signed in November 2017. Back then, the two companies joined forces to make exclusive tires for the Hyundai IONIQ 5. The new relationship will run for an additional three years.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods