Black, round and EV specific

TWO corporations working to solve a problem are better than one, and such would be the case with Hyundai and Michelin who have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on developing next-generation tyres optimised for premium electric vehicles (EVs).

The document was signed at Hyundai’s Namyang Research Centre in South Korea last week (June 17), and was attended by Bong-soo Kim, Vice President and Head of Chassis Development Centre at Hyundai Motor Group, and Georges Levy, Executive Vice President of Automotive Original Equipment at Michelin.

The most recent MoU follows the successful completion of the two parties' first collaboration and will lead to a direction change towards developing next-generation tyres for Hyundai’s clean, smart and sustainable mobility solutions.

“This partnership with Michelin will result in real innovations in tyre technology, solidifying Hyundai Motor Group’s position as a leader in the smart mobility industry,” said Mr Kim.

“By fully leveraging our mobility technology and Michelin’s tyre expertise, we are confident in our ability to achieve ground-breaking innovations in tyre performance enhancement and create synergies in this organic collaboration.”

The agreement is a follow-up to the first five-year partnership signed in November 2017 to jointly develop an exclusive tyre for Ioniq 5 and carry out experiments and analysis methods related to tyres as well as technology exchange.

Over the next three years, Hyundai and Michelin will jointly develop the following innovations: eco-friendly tyres with increased use of eco-friendly materials; tyres optimised for next-generation EVs and a real-time tyre monitoring system which will help advance autonomous driving technology.

"The collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group and Michelin over the past five years contributed to the successful launch of the Hyundai IONIQ 5,” said Mr Levy.

“We are pleased to announce that the relationship has been extended for three more years to continue our work together on new technologies in favour of safer, cleaner mobility.

“The association between Hyundai Motor Group and Michelin is founded on the same vision and on a shared passion for excellence, performance and innovation that have become increasingly essential factors as we rise to the mobility-related challenges we all face today.”

Next-generation tyres resulting from the collaboration will find their way onto future premium EV models of Hyundai Motor Group. This new tyre technology is critical to meet the durability requirements of tyres, as well as driving performance and electric efficiency under high load as the driving range of EVs continues to increase.

Hyundai and Michelin plan to conduct joint research to analyse tyre wear, tyre load and road friction beyond the current standards of tyre temperature and air pressure. The new tyres are also expected to significantly improve passenger ride comfort by reducing vibration and noise generated by EVs at high speeds.

They will also explore ways to increase the use of eco-friendly materials in tyres to about 50 per cent of the total tyre weight from 20 per cent currently.