Hankook Tire has unveiled its first ISCC PLUS-certified summer tire for electric vehicles, named the iON evo, now featured as original equipment for the updated Porsche Taycan. This tire has evolved from the Hankook iON Race tire, which has been used exclusively in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since 2023.
The iON evo tire incorporates 45% sustainable materials without sacrificing safety or performance. Hankook’s engineers employed renewable and recycled materials that retain the strength, flexibility, and durability of conventional tire components.
These materials include bio-based silica from grain waste, recycled PET textile cord from plastic waste, bio-circular synthetic rubber from bio-circular feedstocks, recycled carbon black from used tires, and natural resin.
The ISCC PLUS certified iON evo makes its debut on the Porsche Taycan in sizes 245/40 R21Y XL for the front and 285/35 R21Y XL for the rear. The tire features a tread mixture with plant-based oils, enhancing both sustainability and durability.
To support dynamic driving and sudden lane changes, reinforced materials have been used to increase lateral stiffness, benefiting from knowledge gained in previous homologation processes for premium manufacturers.
Compared to conventional tires, the iON evo offers significantly reduced rolling resistance, thereby extending the range per battery charge of the Porsche Taycan.
Porsche notes that with Hankook’s 21-inch aero wheels, the Taycan can achieve up to 40 kilometers (approximately 25 miles) more range per charge. Furthermore, Hankook tires, specifically iON tires, are designed to handle powerful electric vehicles’ high torque output.