Two Hankook Tire concept tires were awarded International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) in the transportation category. The recognized tires, Tilread and eMembrane, were produced in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati. 
With this recognition, Hankook has been honored at three of the world’s design competitions in 2014. The tiremaker’s Ventus V12 evo2 was recognized with the Red Dot Design Award and its Kinergy 4S received the iF Design Award this year.
“Recognitions from all the world’s top-3 design awards proudly reveal Hankook Tire’s outstanding design innovation and R&D capability as a top-tier tire company,” said Seung Hwa Suh, vice chairman and CEO of Hankook Tire. “As a leading global tire company, Hankook Tire will continue our extensive investment to bolster competitive edge in tire technology, contributing to push the boundaries of driving innovation.”
The Tiltread was designed to maximize performance in high-powered vehicles, the tiremaker said. The tires tilting system equipped with partitioned tires and automatic control suspension maximizes the contact patch and lowers a cat’s tilting during cornering. Additionally, the tire’s three partitioned non-pneumatic tires are puncture-resistant and possess durability and elasticity for cornering, Hankook said.
The eMembrane is a multi-use tire for both performance and regular city driving. The tire uses shape memory alloys that change the contact ratio of tire according to a car’s speed, the tiremaker said. Additionally the eMembrane’s tread is designed to produce minimal road contact and ground friction at low speeds to maximize rolling resistance. At faster speeds the treads center extends to generate maximum ground friction, Hankook said.
