Leading tyre company Hankook Tire & Technology has announced the opening of Hankook Technoring, a new proving ground in Taean, South Korea. Being the largest proving ground in Asia, it will serve as a state-of-the-art R&D facility for the company's most advanced products to come.
Covering 311 acres, the equivalent of 235 American football fields, Hankook Technoring is the largest proving ground in Asia. It comprises 13 testing tracks, including the longest test track in Asia, and enables rigorous testing of Hankook's most advanced products, including tyres for electric vehicles (EVs) and supercars. The test tracks are designed to accommodate all types of vehicles from supercars to trucks and buses, and can accommodate testing at speeds of up to 155mph.
The proving ground is also equipped with a control tower, office buildings, workshops, fueling stations, and EV charging stations. The 121.7-foot-high control tower manages test progress through integrated monitoring systems to simulate various test surface and climate conditions.
Hyunbum Cho, Chairman and CEO, Hankook & Company, said, 'Tyres, being the only media in a vehicle that makes contact with the road surface, are the key to maximising vehicle performance, providing safety, satisfying fuel efficiency, and driving comfort. This is why we at Hankook recognise the need for various testing grounds to ensure the best product quality in all conditions.'
With accumulated data from actual tests at Hankook Technoring, the tyremaker also plans to accelerate its digital transformation. The company will build a big data analysis platform and develop Virtual Optimization Technology based on artificial intelligence. In the future, Hankook also aims to create a database of responses of tyres and vehicles tested in the most severe environments, with which Hankook will build a Digital Twin for securing original and innovative technologies to apply for future mobility.
In addition, the company plans to actively seek cooperation with various mobility companies, research and educational institutions, and startups while fostering a driving culture by utilising the state-of-the-art infrastructure of Hankook Technoring. This will lead the company not only to continue innovating its R&D capabilities, but also to contribute to the advancement of global mobility technology.