Hyundai and Kia boast another breakthrough, unveiling new tire with retractable ‘snow chains’

Weeks after introducing a potentially game-changing “Uni-wheel” drive system for EVs, Hyundai and Kia are showing off another next-generation technology to keep EV drivers safer during inclement weather. Today, Kia and Hyundai introduced a new snow chain-integrated tire that utilizes shape memory alloy modules inside the wheel. See how this incredible new tech works in the video below.

As EVs continue to saturate the global automotive market, their respective technologies are evolving to benefit consumers. Now more than ever, these electric vehicles drive farther, charge faster, and come equipped with exciting new technologies like vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities and Plug & Charge.

Hyundai Motor Group has been one of the early proponents of such technologies, featuring them in EVs atop its E-GMP platform. In fact, Hyundai and Kia especially have rolled out some exciting technologies throughout the electric mobility segment and allocated considerable funds to R&D to explore new engineering breakthroughs.

Last month, the Korean automotive conglomerate introduced a new “Uni Wheel” system, described as a potential “paradigm shift” in drivetrain configurations. Traditional ICE vehicles utilize CV joints, but moving them closer to the wheels requires a short drive train length and, as a result, a decrease in efficiency and durability – especially over bumpy terrain. Hyundai and Kia’s Uni Wheel system, on the other hand, can transmit power with almost zero changes to efficiency, regardless of wheel movement.

The last breakthrough was met with some confusion as to how it worked, but once you watched the video, it garnered a lot of hype as a breakthrough technology. Today, Hyundai Motor Group has shared another exciting video about tires it has developed with alloy “snow chains” built in. Check it out.

Snow problem! Hyundai’s new tires come well equipped

As if Hyundai and Kia EVs weren’t already exploring the bleeding edge of efficiency, the automakers have developed a new tire/wheel combination that alleviates the need to haul around and install snow tires – a common practice for drivers in wintery regions that trek up mountains.

Hyundai explains that this new tire technology can automatically deploy shape memory alloy at the push of a button in the cabin, quickly offering EV drivers a snow chain-like grip during wintery road conditions.

This snow chain-integrated tire technology consists of a wheel and tire assembly consisting of radial, evenly spaced grooves that house modules made from shape memory alloy that can be deployed when an electric current is applied and can return to its natural shape inside the tire.

The video below showcases how it works best, but this could be a potential game-changer for snow tires if and when Hyundai and Kia integrate it into passenger EV models. When that may happen remains to be seen, but Hyundai appears to be working toward that goal. The automaker’s head of the advanced chassis development team, Joon Mo Park, elaborated:

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 safety and convenience of our vehicles and bring value to our customers.

Like the Uni-Wheel drive system mentioned above, Hyundai and Kia’s snow chain tires offer plenty of room for excitement about what technologies are yet to emerge within EVs, as long as their creators find a way to scale and integrate the technology as planned. While we wait for that, check out Hyundai Motor Group’s video explaining the new snow tire technology below: