Hankook Tire expands supply for Baidu robotaxis in China, extending coverage to 10 cities

[Financial News] Hankook Tire is expanding its supply of tires designed for electric vehicles to Baidu’s driverless “Apollo Go” robotaxis in China. The company is expanding the supply area from 4 cities to 10, accelerating its push into China’s autonomous driving market. Its strategy is to expand its business in the future mobility market by going beyond simply supplying tires and building an intelligent management system based on driving data.
Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd. said on the 22nd that it would expand from 4 to 10 the number of cities where its EV-specific “iON ST AS” tires, supplied to Baidu’s driverless robotaxi platform Apollo Go in China, are used.
The cities targeted for supply are major Chinese cities including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Suzhou, Wuhan, Dongguan, Nanchang and Sanya. After signing a strategic partnership with Baidu in March last year, Hankook Tire began supplying tires for Level 4 autonomous vehicles in Wuhan and Shenzhen. It subsequently expanded the supply area to Beijing and Chongqing, and this year is extending the scope of the partnership to 10 cities.
The expanded supply is based on driving data accumulated in real-world autonomous driving environments and product performance. Robotaxis operate for longer hours than ordinary passenger cars and start and stop frequently, making tire durability, grip and energy efficiency important.
The iON ST AS is designed specifically for electric vehicles and uses a “ProDurable Compound” for high-mileage performance. It is designed to reduce rolling resistance and power consumption while providing wear resistance and grip, improving driving efficiency and extending tire life for robotaxis that operate for long hours.
Another feature is its ability to handle different road conditions by region. The tire was developed with a focus on delivering stable driving performance in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, where traffic is heavy; Chongqing, with its many slopes and winding roads; and Dongguan and Suzhou, which receive substantial rainfall. Its optimized tread pattern and tire structure also reduce noise and vibration.
Hankook Tire is also deepening its cooperation with Baidu on data-based management technology, beyond tire supply. The approach connects vehicles, tires, roads and the cloud to monitor tire condition. The company plans to build a comprehensive tire life-cycle management system by linking driving data from the iON ST AS with Apollo Go’s real-time tire-pressure monitoring and wear-warning system.
The aim is to manage tire replacement timing more efficiently and improve the operational stability and cost-effectiveness of autonomous vehicles.
Hankook Tire is expanding the reach of iON beyond electric passenger cars to commercial and autonomous vehicles. It also plans to strengthen its EV-specific tire technology and its ability to use driving data to boost its competitiveness in the global autonomous driving market.

[email protected] Kim Dong-ho Reporter