Premium tyre manufacturer Hankook is presenting the first EV summer tyre with ISCC PLUS certification (ISCC = International Sustainability & Carbon Certification)1 with the iON evo. The new tyre is derived from the Hankook iON Race tyre, which has been used exclusively on the vehicles competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since 2023 and consists of 45 percent sustainable raw materials. The new iON evo is original equipment for the updated Porsche Taycan electric sports car. It is the first tyre in the premium vehicle manufacturer’s original equipment range with this prestigious certification.
“The ISCC PLUS-certified iON evo represents the culmination of our ambition to produce tyres that are truly more sustainable,” says Klaus Krause, Vice President and Head of Europe Technical Center at Hankook. “We are also very proud that our European production plant in Hungary, where the iON evo is produced, is the second Hankook site worldwide to receive the coveted ISCC PLUS certification. The fact that Porsche has chosen the iON evo as original equipment for the new Taycan is of course a big vote of confidence for us. Thanks to our motorsport-proven technologies, the Hankook tyre with its increased sustainability and optimised rolling resistance makes a significant contribution to increasing the range of the high-performance electric sports car,” says Krause.
Renewable and recycled materials
Despite the high content of 45 percent sustainable materials, the developers at Hankook succeeded in increasing the iON evo’s sustainability without having to compromise on tyre safety and performance. The engineers used renewable and recycled materials that match the strength, flexibility and durability of conventional tyre components. These include bio-based silica from grain waste, recycled PET textile cord from plastic waste, bio-circular synthetic rubber from bio-circular feedstocks, recycled carbon black from used tyres and even natural resin. The Hankook team responsible for the development of the tyre were also able to leverage the knowledge gained from Formula E, where a racing tyre with a high percentage of sustainable materials – the iON Race – is used.
iON evo on the new Porsche Taycan
The new iON evo with the ISCC PLUS logo on its sidewall is making its debut as original equipment for the Porsche Taycan in the dimensions 245/40 R21Y XL (FA) and 285/35 R21Y XL (RA). Like the other tyres in the iON family, this advanced development uses a tread mixture with plant-based oils. It not only makes the tread more sustainable overall, but also has a positive effect on the durability. For support during especially dynamic driving or sudden lane changes, the Hankook engineers also used reinforced material to increase the lateral stiffness. The engineers also benefitted from knowledge gained in previous homologation processes for the premium manufacturer.
More range and a sense of safety when driving
As with the other iON models, the new iON evo with ISCC PLUS certification offers greatly reduced rolling resistance compared to a conventional tyre, which increases the range per battery charge of the Porsche Taycan. Porsche itself states that up to 40 kilometres more can be possible thanks to the 21-inch aero wheel from Hankook. In addition, the Hankook iON products are particularly designed for the immediately available high torque produced by powerful electric vehicles. All in all, what this means for the electric car driver is more range per battery charge and a feeling of real safety and comfort when driving.
1) ISCC PLUS is an international certification system that audits the use of sustainable materials throughout the production process
SOURCE: Porsche
