Hyundai, Michelin extend partnership to develop EV tire innovations

The agreement follows a five-year partnership between the two companies that focused on development of tire technology for Hyundai's electric offerings.

June 20, 2022 12:50 PM

The signing ceremony took place Friday at Hyundai's Namyang Research Center and was attended by Bong-soo Kim, head of the automaker's Chassis Development Center, and Georges Levy, executive vice president of automotive original equipment at Michelin.

Hyundai Motor Group and tire giant Michelin on Monday said they are planning to work together to develop future tire technologies for electric vehicles.

The companies on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul. The agreement follows a five-year partnership between the two companies that focused on development of tire technology for Hyundai's electric offerings — including Hyundai's new electric crossover, the Ioniq 5.

"The collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group and Michelin over the past five years contributed to the successful launch of the Hyundai Ioniq 5," Georges Levy, Michelin's executive vice president of automotive original equipment, said in a statement. "We are pleased to announce that the relationship has been extended for three more years."

Three areas will be the focus of the renewed partnership:

Tires composed of environmentally friendly materials.
Tires to be used on "next-generation" EVs.
A tire monitoring system to be used in autonomous vehicles.

Some specific goals include reducing vibration and noise generated by EVs at high speeds and increasing the percentage of environmentally friendly materials in tires.

The new tire technologies "will find their way onto future premium EV models of Hyundai Motor Group," the statement said.