A new concept tire from Hankook will be showcased on the new electric drive concept vehicle from Volkswagen, the I.D. Crozz II, at the IAA in Frankfurt. Following the world première of the concept car in Shanghai in April, the company is presenting a new version of the I.D. Crozz at the IAA. Like the Volkswagen I.D. and the I.D. Buzz, the latest generation from the Volkswagen Group is also equipped with Hankook tires.

With the concept tire for the Volkswagen I.D. Crozz II, Hankook is again presenting an interpretation of innovative tires for the electric vehicles of the future. The anthracite colour of the tire blends in perfectly with the avant-garde design of the vehicle. The colouring is made with a special tread and side wall compound which contains white filler materials rather than soot. An inlay on the tire side wall adapted to the tyre design provides a visual contrast and contributes to the harmonious interplay between wheel and tyre.

Volkswagen Showcar I.D. CROZZ equipped with Hankook concept tyres.

One special feature is that the concept tire for the Volkswagen I.D. Crozz II got its special tread from a heated mould, just like conventional road tires, and so the production process can be automated for the most part, which provides completely new opportunities. Up until now, the usual procedure for concept tires has been to cut the tread painstakingly by hand into a blank tire similar to a slick following vulcanisation. With the tire for the I.D. Crozz II, only the inlay on the side wall was attached by hand.

The dimensions of the concept tire correspond to size 245/45R21 in conventional tires (I.D.: 215/45R20, I.D. Buzz: 235/45R22). The diameter, which is large compared to the tire width, makes for a slim, high silhouette. This results in a lower drag coeffieient in relation to the contact area compared with conventional tyre dimensions, promoting optimum energy efficiency in conjunction with a lower rolling resistance. In addition, the large diameter results in less deformation and reshaping of the tyre, which has a positive effect on the rolling resistance. The size of the contact area, which is important for brake performance, traction and lateral stability, is relatively large despite the small tire width, so that no compromises have to be made in terms of tire performance in conjunction with the high-grip tread compound.

“We are very pleased to have implemented such a project together with Volkswagen. With the development of electric vehicles, the demands made on tires will change in future, too. The rolling noise will play a more major role due to the lack of engine noise, and rolling resistance will have to be reduced even further to cut energy losses.” predicts Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Krause, head of the Hankook Europe Technical Centre in Hanover. “Nevertheless,” Krause continues, “future generations of Hankook tires will still offer the same high safety as before.” Coloured tires such as those on the Volkswagen I.D., the I.D. Buzz or the I.D. Crozz II are currently not competitive for cost reasons, but this does not mean they have to be reserved for concept cars: “Visual aspects can favour coloured tires by all means. They can emphasize a vehicle's character and offer buyers further customising options for for their vehicles. Today's electric vehicle concepts show what can be possible in future.”

Tagged: Volkswagen I.D. Crozz II

Take a look at Hankook's concept tire for Volkswagen I.D. Crozz II