Reinventing the Wheel: How Hankook Is Designing the Future of Sustainable Mobility
The two-seater PathCruizer people mover, powered by the WheelBot 2 robot platform (photo: © Hankook Tire Europe GmbH)
When people think of innovation in mobility, they tend to picture sleek EVs, self-driving systems, or futuristic city pods — not the tires beneath them. Yet for Hankook Tire & Technology, one of the world’s leading premium tire manufacturers, the wheel itself remains one of the most overlooked frontiers for change.
At its Design Innovation Day 2025, held this autumn, the South Korean company unveiled two striking concepts that blur the lines between design, robotics, and sustainability: a 3D-printed tire made from sustainable materials and a robotic mobility platform capable of omnidirectional movement. Together, they illustrate Hankook’s vision for mobility that is not only cleaner and smarter — but also more imaginative.
A Global Brand with a Futurist’s Mindset
Founded in 1941, Hankook has evolved from a regional producer into a global top-ten tire manufacturer, supplying industry giants such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Tesla. Headquartered in Seoul, it operates eight production facilities and five R&D centers worldwide, including its architectural centerpiece — the Technodome in Daejeon. This glass-and-steel complex serves as the nerve center for Hankook’s advanced research into materials, design, and future mobility systems.
In recent years, the company has made its mark in the premium tire segment, investing heavily in EV-specific tire technology, smart tire systems, and sustainable materials. Its iON tire series, for example, was one of the first ranges engineered specifically for electric vehicles, optimized for higher torque, weight, and noise reduction.
For Hankook, design, technology, and sustainability are not separate disciplines but interconnected pillars. Through initiatives like Design Innovation Day, the company shows that even a tire can be a vehicle for vision — bridging mechanical performance and digital mobility.
A Platform for Collaboration and Creativity
“Hankook not only wants to keep its finger on the pulse, but also actively shape the future of mobility,” a company spokesperson told MoveTheNeedle.news. “That requires both foresight and the courage to experiment.”
That experimental spirit drives Hankook’s Design Innovation Project, which links the company’s R&D teams with young designers, start-ups, and academic partners. The goal: reimagine the tire as part of a broader mobility ecosystem.
“For over ten years, Hankook has provided a platform that brings together our decades of expertise with fresh perspectives,” the spokesperson added. “Different viewpoints help us see the future more completely.”
Design Innovation Day is where those ideas come to life. Some concepts — like the original Wheelbot mobility platform — have already moved into pilot testing. Others, such as this year’s 3D-printed sustainable tire and Wheelbot 2, remain conceptual but demonstrate where the next decade of innovation could lead.
Two Visions, One Direction
Why pair a 3D-printed tire with a robotic vehicle platform? For Hankook, the connection is clear: both embody mobility that is more adaptive, efficient, and sustainable.
“The future will demand a wider range of solutions for different types of mobility,” Hankook explained. “We don’t want to be limited to one idea.”
The 3D-printed tire concept explores how additive manufacturing and bio-based materials can redefine tire design. Hankook notes that this isn’t science fiction: some of its production tires already contain up to 77% sustainable materials, including the iON GT model for EVs and plug-in hybrids.
The new prototype takes things further. Instead of relying on air pressure, it uses a graduated internal structure — rigid near the hub, softer near the tread — to provide flexibility and resilience. The removal of carbon black (which gives traditional tires their black color) also opens new possibilities for colorful or even transparent designs.
It’s part of Hankook’s longer-term commitment: to use 100% sustainable materials in all tires by 2050.
How It Works: The 3D Printing Process
The 3D-printed tire is built layer by layer, creating a continuous structure without seams or joins. Using nTop — a software platform specialized in lattice-based design — Hankook’s engineers can optimize stiffness, flexibility, and weight distribution across every millimeter.
“For airless tires, it makes sense that the wheel and tread form a single unit,” the company explained. “With 3D printing, we can create gradual material transitions between them. That makes a lightweight, durable, and fully airless tire possible.”
Such innovation also carries environmental benefits: lighter structures mean lower rolling resistance and reduced emissions during use.
Not a Replacement — Yet
Could 3D printing replace traditional tire manufacturing? Hankook is cautious but optimistic.
“Change is always a transitional process,” the company said. “Conventional tires remain the best solution for most vehicles today. But 3D printing will become essential for specialized applications.”
That includes autonomous shuttles, urban pods, and delivery robots — vehicles that prioritize reliability and minimal maintenance. “Airless, 3D-printed tires make perfect sense where there’s no driver to monitor tire pressure or wear,” the spokesperson noted.
The company also sees faster adoption in Asia’s dense urban markets, where autonomous taxis and micro-mobility platforms are already taking off. “In Korea, Japan, and China, the need for maneuverable transport solutions is far greater than in Europe,” Hankook said.
Wheelbot 2 and the PathCruizer: Mobility Without Limits
The Wheelbot 2 platform, developed in collaboration with robotics start-up Calmantech, embodies Hankook’s interdisciplinary approach. Each wheel integrates its own drive unit and airless tire, allowing full 360-degree movement — forward, backward, sideways, even diagonal.
That modular foundation powers the PathCruizer, a two-seater mobility pod unveiled at Hankook's Design Innovation Day 2025. Compact and highly maneuverable, it’s designed for tight urban spaces, logistics hubs, or even indoor mobility systems.Visitors at Hankook’s Technodome were able to see and test the PathCruizer in action.
“This collaboration underscores our role as a pioneer in both mobility and advanced tire technology,” Hankook said.
Rolling Toward 2050
As mobility becomes increasingly electric, autonomous, and sustainable, Hankook is determined to stay ahead — not just by building better tires, but by redefining what a tire can be.
The 3D-printed tire and Wheelbot 2 may be prototypes, but they send a powerful message: innovation in mobility doesn’t stop at the car. Sometimes, it begins where the rubber meets the road.
For Hankook, the road to 2050 isn’t just about rolling forward — it’s about reinventing motion itself.