Autos

Hyundai Is Developing a New Snow Tire With Built-in Chains

Author: Jarret HendricksonEdited by: Madison Cates January 25, 2024

According to a report from Autocar, South Korean Automaker Hyundai is creating a unique tire with built-in snow chains that can adapt to winter’s snowy and icy driving conditions.

Introducing Shape Memory Alloy Integrated Snow Chain Technology

While the automaker has yet to find a more permanent (or snappy) title for its innovative winter tire design, it’s still a unique and ambitious concept. Autocar’s report explains that this Shape Memory Alloy Integrated Snow Chain Technology (SMAISCT) tire consists of several J-shaped metal rods that run up the side of the wheel, with the curve of the J running across the top of the tire and back down to connect with the rim on the other side of the wheel.

Each a few millimeters in diameter, these metal rods are spread around the tire, filling in the tread. Think of it like an old-school water wheel, like what you would see on a paddle wheel steamboat. According to Autocar’s report, that’s what the Hyundai’s SMAISCT tire will look like when its metal rods are fully out.

According to Autocar’s report, Hyundai will build these metal rods to retract into the tire’s tread when someone is operating the vehicle in fairer weather; hence, this is where the Shape Memory Alloy aspect of this tire comes into play. Only the tire’s rubber will hit the road when the rods are not out during normal or mild weather conditions. The vehicle will drive like the rods are not even there.

For winter driving conditions, the driver can push a button that electronically activates these SMAISCT tires when needed. When the driver activates them, the long section of the J on the outer part of the wheel will extend the bar out of the tread and into snow chain operation. When drivers no longer need their SMAISCT tires to be in snow chain mode, they press the same button again, sending another electronic signal to the metal rods to retract back into the tread grooves so the tires are regular again.

In a press release that the South Korean automaker released last month to announce the development of this new tire technology, Joon Mo Park, the Head of their Advanced Chassis Development Team, said, “This innovation, which will hopefully be introduced on Hyundai and Kia vehicles someday, reflects our commitment to turning advanced technologies into real-world solutions that benefit customers. We will continue to develop technologies that enhance the safety and convenience of our vehicles and bring value to our customers.”

While the SMAISCT tire is undoubtedly an inventive idea, it’s not clear how these tires will hold up to the wear and tear of daily driving and how this will affect the performance of its Shape Memory Alloy components over time. Still, this will be an exciting development to watch out for, especially for those driving in icy or snowy conditions.

Author: Jarret Hendrickson

Autos

13 Iconic Fords Every Enthusiast Knows And Loves

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Share on X (Twitter) Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit <use href="#<svg width="1em" height="1em" viewBox="0 0 32 32" class="scriptlesssocialsharing__icon flipboard" fill="currentcolor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img"> <title>flipboard</title> <path d="M24.997 13.001h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v-17.995h17.995zM1.004 1.004v29.991h29.991v-29.991z"></path> </svg>" xlink:href="# flipboard “> Share on Flip itAccording to a report from Autocar, South Korean Automaker Hyundai is creating a unique tire with…

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