Hankook's Formula E Tyres: 77% Sustainable Materials

Electric vehicle batteries add weight to cars that conventional tyres cannot support. Hankook has developed iON tyres to address this challenge and other performance requirements specific to EVs.

The manufacturer supplies tyres to Formula E, where sustainability rules demand particular durability as Formula E enforces a no tyre change policy during races.

Specialised tyres for electric vehicles

According to Hankook, EV batteries can increase vehicle weight by up to 30%. This added mass requires tyres with greater structural stiffness to bear the load.

High instant torque in EVs creates additional demands. Tyres need enhanced grip levels to handle rapid acceleration and braking forces.

Long charging times make energy efficiency critical for EV operation. Low rolling resistance in tyres reduces energy loss during driving.

Hankook's iON tyres address these requirements through technologies designed to absorb sound whilst providing mileage and grip. The tyres are lightweight compared to conventional alternatives.

The company's Grip Boost Technology increases cornering stiffness. This could improve handling performance in electric vehicles.

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Formula E tyre requirements

Formula 1 cars weigh roughly 702 kg including the driver. Formula E cars weigh 898 kg.

Su-jin Jang, a team member of Hankook's Research Institute Formula E Tyre Development Project, says: "The conditions presented are very specific and demanding in Formula E. Therefore, it was an important task to overcome the trade-off between tyre performance and develop a tyre that is as balanced as possible to achieve the so-called 'magic triangle' without leaning on either side. Simply, the development was very similar to the development of the EV tyre development."

Hankook is in its fourth and final season as Formula E's exclusive tyre supplier and official technology partner. The company equips all teams with the GEN3 Evo iON Race tyre.

Sustainable material composition

Hankook's iON GT tyres contain 77% sustainable materials. The tyres are made exclusively for EVs to support the different specifications compared to internal combustion engine vehicle tyres.

Sustainability forms a core objective of Formula E. The racing series limits teams to two sets of tyres per race, covering the shakedown session, qualifying and the final race.

Min-young Yoon, a team member of Hankook's Research Institute Formula E Tyre Development Project, says: "The goal of Formula E is sustainability. That's why there is no tire change during the race. To be precise, only two sets of tyres are allowed per race from the shakedown session to qualifying and the final race. Therefore, it was an important condition to be able to advance through the entire race course with one set of tyres. From the tire manufacturer's point of view, it was a new challenge that was completely different from developing a standard race tyre."

This durability requirement presents different challenges compared to standard race tyre development. Formula E teams must complete races on a single set of tyres.