After a pretty long gap, we now have a new tire manufacturer taking the "hollow" route. It was way back in 2004 that Michelin pitched forth the idea of an airless tire idea as a concept. Michelin is known for thinking out of the box. But this idea is still not able to kick off. Nevertheless, Hankook has taken a bold move and has come up with a rather trippy-looking airless tire concept called i-Flex.
All that intricate pattern that you see is not just to woo you with cool designs. According to Hankook, they got the inspiration for the i-Flex's complex structure from the cell of a living organism. Nope, not kidding! This design adds a lot of rigidity and load distribution to the existing airless tire format. And Hankook chose the perfect vehicle to showcase its bold new tire at CES 2022.
Hankook flaunts its trippy cellular-designed airless concept tire on a Hyundai at CES 2022.
Hankook i-Flex Takes Inspiration From Under A Microscope
Organic is the word here. Hankook has made an airless tire that looks cool (no offense, Michelin!). These 10-inch tires are 4.1 inches wide. The guys at Hankook dived deep into biology books to make this concept tire. Load bearing and shock absorption are its key attributes.
The i-Flex has a multi-layer interlocking pattern as seen from the cellular structure of living beings. This optimized use of space is well translated here. This pattern adds to better shock absorption due to the rigid three-dimensional layout.
It also has a better load carrying capability, thanks to strands of varying rigidity being put together to form this organic web. The concave shape of this design is to provide a maximum contact patch under pressure and load. Hankook wants the future of tires to be sustainable.
Hyundai L7 Micro-Mobility Concept Flaunts These Airless Tires Well
The tiny form factor of these tires indicates a commercial side approach, at least initially. And so Hankook joined hands with home-turf companion Hyundai to flaunt their web(ed) tires on the L7 micro-mobility concept.
This Hyundai has four different robots controlling the direction and speed of each of its wheels. This allows for the L7 to go any direction or just spin about while staying static. The i-Flex tires add value and, clearly, style to the moon-rover-vibing concept from Hyundai.
What's The Future Of Airless Tires?
While it sure has been a test of patience with Michelin bringing out the first airless concept tire way back in 2004, the wait is almost over. GM has joined hands with Michelin to bring this tech to the masses in 2024. Called the Uptis tire, it will use composite rubber and resin-embedded fiberglass that can easily take over all the duties of the conventional tires that we have now.
The benefits are pleasing with no headaches on punctures and a longer-lasting product. But as for the cooler-looking Hankook i-Flex, there is no concrete timeline of it going public. We just hope that they don't take two decades to convert it from concept to mass-market appeal!
Sources: Hankooktire.com, Hyundai.com, Newatlas.com