Hyundai and Kia have introduced a new technology for tire-integrated snow chains designed to improve driving safety in winter conditions.
Tire technology with integrated snow chains uses shape memory alloy modules that are hidden inside the wheel and tire. These modules will protrude above the surface of the rubber to act as an “anti-slip circuit” when an electrical signal is received.
Unlike traditional snow chains, which are difficult to install and remove, this technology automatically activates and removes snow chains at the touch of a button, helping drivers drive safely on snowy roads.
Each tire will have six grooves across it, corresponding to the six spokes of the wheel. Inside these grooves are thick snow retention wires, similar to chains, buried in the tread.
They are partly made using shape memory alloys that can activate and expand when an electric current is passed through them. So when the road starts to look shaky, or the law requires you to install snow chains, you just push a button.
This innovation, which we hope will one day appear on Hyundai and Kia vehicles, reflects our commitment to turning cutting-edge technology into real-world solutions that benefit customers.
– Jun Mo Park, Head of the Advanced Chassis Development Team at Hyundai.
Hyundai says it has patented the technology in South Korea and the United States, and that Hyundai/Kia plans to “consider mass production of the tires after further technological development, durability and performance tests, and regulatory analysis,” NewAtlas reports.
