- Hakkapeliitta 01 tire can automatically deploy studs
- Temperature sensing technology adds grip in freezing conditions
- Tire technology has been in development for 12 years
Finnish brand Nokian (not to be confused with the Scandinavian telephone company) has just released details of a new tire technology that can automatically detect freezing conditions and deploy metal studs to improve grip on ice and snow.
According to the company, the technology behind the new Hakkapeliitta 01 tire has taken 12 years to develop, advancing its initial research into a deployment system that required a trigger for something where the driver would not have to lift a finger.
The grip-on-demand technology is made possible by the brand’s adaptive base construction, which causes the innermost layer of the tire to harden in low temperatures to push the studs beyond the surface of the tire.
Look
At higher temperatures, this layer softens and the spikes retract, meaning owners don’t have to change tires between seasons or worry about having to install snow chains when traversing snowy passes. You can see how the company did it in the short video above.
Analysis: tires are getting smarter
According to the company, the Hakkapeliitta 01 tire reduces road wear by up to 30 percent compared to its predecessor. Ice grip is improved by up to 10 percent and wet grip by up to 5 percent, while noise levels are dramatically reduced for greater driving comfort.
In addition to the clever lug technology, Nokian has also included an optimized tread pattern for better traction on ice, aramid sidewalls for impact protection and a rubber compound that partly consists of renewable materials such as natural rubber, bio-resin and bio-based oils, including materials derived from pine resin and canola oil.
Although Nokian has not yet revealed the price of the tire, it has said that it will go on sale in the fall of this year (between September and November) and will be available primarily in the Nordic countries and North America in a wide variety of sizes.
The announcement comes at a time when tire technology is becoming increasingly smart, with Pirelli’s ‘Cyber Tire’, for example, including small chips embedded in the tread surface so it can analyze its own health status.
In addition to this, the constant flow of data from the tire to the car can also create a more responsive ABS, ESP and traction control system, according to Top Gear.
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