Hankook Tire supplies tires to 46 carmakers
Seen is Porsche's Cayenne SUV, equipped with tires from Hankook Tire. Courtesy of Hankook Tire & Technology
By Baek Byung-yeul
Hankook Tire & Technology, one of the largest tiremakers in the global market, is stepping up its efforts to secure source technology in tire manufacturing, based on its innovative R&D strategy.
Based on its technological capability, the company said Sunday that it has built a strong portfolio covering all vehicle segments: from high-performance sports models to electric vehicle (EV) brands and even pickup trucks.
The company said that it has expanded its strategic partnership with 46 global carmakers, including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, providing its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) tires to around 320 car models. OEM tires refer to tires installed on new vehicles at the factory that are manufactured by a third party.
The strong business portfolio was achieved thanks to its R&D facility, Hankook Technodome, the firm said.
“We have secured the highest level of technology and quality by realizing technology innovation at Hankook Technodome, which plays a key role in strengthening our R&D capabilities,” a company representative said.
Hankook Tire has built a solid partnership with German carmaker Porsche. It is supplying new tires for the company's Cayenne and Macan SUVs, as well as the 718 Boxster high-performance roadster.
“Hankook Tire has supplied high-performance tires to Porsche, enabling the carmaker's high-performance models to prove their value in terms of global top-level technology as a premium brand,” the firm said.
Seen is Audi's RS Q8 SUV, equipped with tires from Hankook Tire. Courtesy of Hankook Tire & Technology
Hankook Tire has also continued to strengthen its partnership with Audi, supplying its tires to a variety of high-performance models, including Audi's RS Q8, the flagship model in the German carmaker's SUV lineup, as well as the RS7 Sportback, the RS4 Avant, the RS5 Coupe, the Q8 and the SQ8 TDI.
BMW's high-performance lineup ― the X3 M, X4 M, flagship sedan 7 Series and the M4 GT4 motorsport car ― use Hankook Tire's products as well. The tiremaker also supplies tires to Mercedes-Benz's SUVs, GLC and GLC Coupe, as well as to Mini's JCW GP3. Hankook Tire's products are used not only for German brands, but also for EV maker Tesla.
The company added Italian brand Fiat, U.S. brand GM, Chinese EV maker Nio and Malaysian company Perodua as customers of the tiremaker.
“Hankook Tire will continue to expand its premium tire portfolio by establishing strategic partnerships with all global carmakers via its technological competitiveness,” the company said.