Hyundai and Michelin today announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop next-generation tires designed for premium electric vehicles.
As part of the deal, Michelin will work to develop next-generation tires that will have optimal performance characteristics, allow an EV to drive long distances, and be highly durable, in order to deal with the increasing range requirements and heavy loads of EVs.
In addition, Hyundai and Michelin plan to conduct joint research to analyze tire wear, tire load, and road friction to improve tire quality. Since they are going onto premium vehicles, they’ll also have to be quiet and comfortable at high speeds. Finally, the companies want to make the tires greener by having 50 percent of their total weight made up of eco-friendly materials, rather than the 20 percent of their current tires.
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“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,” Bong-soo Kim, head of the chassis development center at Hyundai, 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.”
The memorandum is non-binding but it follows a previous deal between the companies that was signed in 2017. That deal, said Georges Levy, the executive vice president of automotive original equipment at Michelin, led to the creation of an exclusive tire for the Ioniq 5.
“The collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group and Michelin over the past five years contributed to the successful launch of the Hyundai IONIQ 5,” Levy said. “We are pleased to announce that the relationship has been extended for three more years to continue our work together on new technologies in favor 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.”
