As reported earlier this month, Hankook Tire has released its latest winter products for motorists and Western and Central Europe. And the new tyre line is off to a promising start, with Auto Bild awarding the new tyre its top ‘exemplary’ rating in its winter 2020 comparative evaluation.
Hankook’s Ventus Race tyre is in action at three major series this weekend. The tyre follows up DTM, Formula Renault Eurocup, and 24H Series powered by Hankook action with events at the Nürburgring and the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. Saturday’s race at the Nürburgring marks the DTM’s halfway point, with Sunday’s second race getting the second half immediately underway. The series lines up on the Grand Prix circuit for the first time for 19 years, including 17 corners and big changes in elevation. Hankook says the resulting compressions place great strain on the construction of the Ventus Race, as do the solid kerbs, which are taken at great speed.
Michelin and Pirelli are leading the way on tyre and rubber sustainability, according to a recent report from Context Group. Context’s ranking assessed 11 members of the Tire Industry Project (TIP), namely Bridgestone; Continental; Cooper; Goodyear; Hankook; Kumho; Michelin; Pirelli; Sumitomo Rubber; Toyo and Yokohama.
Context analysed the sustainability content on each company’s website to see if it included communications covering some of the main issues associated with the life cycle impacts of tyres, including the four focus areas of the TIP: tyre and road wear particles, sustainable natural rubber, end-of-life tyres and environmental performance. The researchers assessed how well the companies tell their sustainability story by looking at their use of multimedia, news articles and social media.
Over the past seven years, Hankook has firmly established its range of hot retreaded Alphatread tyres in many European markets. What began in Great Britain as part of a joint venture partnership is now being given a new boost in Central Europe. With the takeover of Reifen Müller in 2018, Hankook is now also the operator of its own retreading operation, which is being gradually expanded into a fully-fledged Hankook factory retreading factory – something colleagues at our German sister publication Neue Reifenzeitung found out. Now that Hankook is also manufacturing Alphatread tyres for Germany and neighbouring markets, the medium term is about much more than just a new product range: Hankook wants to redefine its position as a service provider on the commercial vehicle tyre market and establish itself as a system supplier. Customers in other European markets should also benefit from this.
This article will appear in full in the September edition of Tyres & Accessories. Not yet a subscriber? You can change that here.
The launch of the second-line Laufenn brand onto the European commercial vehicle tyre market has rounded out Hankook’s offer to fleet customers. Offering a second tier brand – alongside a growing retreading programme via its Alphatread range – can both allow the manufacturer a more extensive product range to cater to each customer’s entire fleet, and also allow Hankook to capitalise on the growing interest in more value-oriented products. The new tyres, which give Laufenn itself impressive market coverage, also help to emphasise one of Hankook’s competitive advantages; the proportion of products under three years old in its TBR portfolio. The timing of the launch could also help to address the economic strife felt by the logistics sector in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Featured in the September issue of Tyres & Accessories, we spoke with Guy Heywood, Hankook’s European marketing and strategy director for its truck and bus business, and UK sales director Paul Emery about how the introduction of Laufenn will help to develop the tyre manufacturer’s commercial business in the UK and Europe.
Without making a fuss about it, Hankook has quietly introduced a new winter tyre into the market. At least the “Winter I* Cept Evo³” is listed as a new entry on the German website of the Korean tyre manufacturer as well as leading tyre comparison sites, according to our colleagues at our German sister publication.
Hankook Tyre UK has appointed David Block as national accounts manager. Block has more than 20 years’ experience in the tyre industry. He will work to develop sales of Hankook car and light truck tyres in the UK. Hankook states that Block’s extensive experience in various tyre industry positions will allow him to “provide an added value of customer service, whilst building and strengthening his customer base.”
Hankook has collaborated with violinist David Garrett and composer Franck van der Heijden for a performance of the official UEFA Europa League anthem. Captured in a video titled ‘Symphony of Silence’, the performance aims to capture feelings about the empty stadiums hosting 2020 sporting events due to pandemic restrictions. The 2019/20 European club football season, including the Hakook supported Europa League, is completing its final stages without fans. Garrett’s performance was captured by Luke Bannister, five-time world champion in first person view drone racing, in an empty stadium to reflect this experience. The video will premiere on YouTube, Instagram, and Hankook’s website today (Thursday, 20 August, at 21:00 CET) one day ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final 2020.
Hankook Tyre UK has renewed its partnership with the Air Ambulance Service, first established with the first sets of tyres supplied in 2017. The tyre manufacturer provide tyres for its Rapid Response Critical Care car fleet, which supports its helicopter fleet, throughout 2020. Since the partnership began, the Air Ambulance Service have been able to switch to operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and have extended their car fleet with the addition of two new Škoda Kodiaqs.
Hankook Tyre UK has appointed Shane Kallaway as truck and bus tyre regional sales manager for the South West. Kallaway succeeds Richard Ettey who has retired. Ettey leaves a long career in the tyre industry, with more than twelve years’ service at Hankook, and 40 years with Goodyear Dunlop in various roles.
Over the last five years of data collection for the Tyres & Accessories’ ranking of the leading tyre manufacturers, a few trends can be observed – see accompanying graphs for more details. Firstly, it is easy to see that there are a few separate groupings of rival companies within the top ten. In our first chart, we can see that Continental has continued to progress in narrowing the tyre sales gap with Goodyear, partially because Goodyear has yet to regain the level of sales achieved in 2015, despite improved results on its half-decade low in 2017. Tyrepress noted in 2018 that based on tyre volumes, Conti looked likely to overtake Goodyear in light vehicle (passenger car and light truck) tyre volumes, showing how it has gained ground on the previous ‘Big Three’. Regardless of their order, it has been appropriate to talk of a global Big Four tyre manufacturers for a few years.
Hankook has introduced a new line of Laufenn brand commercial vehicle tyres in the UK. With Laufenn the Korean tyre manufacturer targets the second tier of the market. Hankook initially launches Laufenn in the UK with nine patterns covering more than 85 per cent of tyres in the market for goods and people transportation, as well as construction truck tyres. Hankook adds that most sizes offer the three peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) marking for use in winter conditions. The Laufenn CV tyre range was due to be presented in the UK at the Commercial Vehicle Show, before the Birmingham NEC event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Puncture proof tyres are said to be increasing demand – despite criticism from recycling associations of such products. In line with this trend, according to media reports Hankook is significantly expanding its self-sealing production capacity in China.
Michelin motorsport director Matthieu Bonardel has given his reaction to the announcement of a changing of the guard in the world’s premier battery-powered single-seater racing series. Despite Hankook’s move to replace Michelin as Formula E tyre supplier after the 2021/2022 season, the French manufacturer continues to believe that “sporting competition and sustainable mobility are inextricably linked.” Michelin was the tyre inaugural supplier to Formula E, which began in 2014/15, and has actively shaped the series as exclusive tyre partner ever since.
The Formula Renault Eurocup, which runs on Hankook tyres, has begun its 50th season in Monza. Featuring prestigious racing tracks throughout the world, all vehicles of the series will be fitted with Hankook’s high-performing racing tyres, Ventus F200 and Ventus Z217. Ventus F200 is a dry racing tyre with excellent grip, handling performance, and durability, while Ventus Z217 is a highly stable wet surface racing tyre.
Hoch Zwei
Context Group
Hankook
Hankook
Hankook
Hankook
Hankook
Hankook
Tyrepress
Hankook
Hankook
Michelin
Marc de Mattia / DPPI