Hankook Tire becomes the official supplier of sustainable tires to Formula E’s racing series.
One of the main goals of Formula E is to make racing more sustainable. It does this by racing electrical vehicles, not selling plastic or paper tickets, and operating free water-filling stations at events.
Partnering with Hankook pushes its efforts to become more sustainable. The latter’s new iON tire uses improved tire compounds that are made with 30% sustainable materials. Used tires are recycled to make new tires after each race.
The new Hankook tires are usually wet and dry capable, resulting in fewer sets that have to be produced. Formula E’s upcoming third-generation car will race on Hankook iON tires on its debut on the 14th of January in Mexico City.
Consumers can also purchase the same tires for their electrical vehicles outside Formula E. These include the Hankook iON winter tires and Hankook iON Evo summer tires.
“A good three years ago, we at Hankook decided to become an official technical partner and tire supplier of what is arguably the most progressive, modern, and sustainable racing series in the world from the 2023 season. The philosophy of the Hankook brand and our strategic orientation towards an increasingly sustainable future also reflect the spirit and DNA of Formula E. Together, we will advance and significantly influence the development of modern motorsport over the coming years,” said Sooil Lee, President & CEO of Hankook Tire & Technology.
Some people are concerned about the performance sacrifices that have to be made to achieve sustainability. For example, tires being wet and dry capable and not being specialized in either means that the cars will not be as quick.
Also, Formula E does not use soft, medium, and hard tire sets like Formula 1. The lack of a similar strategy may limit performance. We wait to see how the tire will perform in the coming year.