SMART Motorsports Innovation

A major benefit of SMA tires across all applications is the removal (or integration) of pneumatics. The paradigm shift to structural-based tires will be the end of flat tires due to punctures and inconsistent pressurized gases (air/nitrogen). Less tire failures means less, but smarter, pit stops and faster lap times, but also less tire carcasses and tire waste, which adheres to the FIA's 2030 sustainability strategy for the sport. (the F1 global market is valued at $19B with over 70M viewers per race)

Rolling resistance is dependent on the return energy of the tire. Return energy of a material is mostly dependent on 1) the stiffness of the material and 2) the recoverable strain. As a metal-based material, SMA possess a high stiffness (Elastic Modulus ~ 70-90 GPa) and coupled with unmatched strain recoverability (8-12%), SMA possess a high return energy potential. This return energy results in better tire temperature benefits, lower rolling resistances, and can create faster cornering and turns.

We are currently experimenting with our tire technologies in ways that could benefit the future of racing in Formula One, NASCAR, Indy, supercars and the high-end automotive market. We aim to make racing faster, but more sustainable, and a bit safer, without losing any of the team strategy elements, car unpredictability, driver competitiveness, and overall track excitement.

If you are part of a Formula 1 team or supercar manufacturer, please contact us. We’d love to show you what we’re working on! We could be the difference-maker and that extra edge you’ve been looking for.

Hyundai quietly climbs the EV sales charts and Elon Musk notices

“The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and its sibling, the Kia EV6 — which promptly tore up the sales charts, passing the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Bolt and every other electric vehicle on the market not made by Tesla. Tesla still sells far more cars, but it took the company a decade to deliver as many electric vehicles as Hyundai and Kia have managed in a few short months. Even Musk has been impressed.

Hyundai plans to launch a new battery-powered car every year for the rest of the decade and is spending $16.5 billion to boost EV production in South Korea. By 2030, the automaker wants to claim 12% of the global EV market, some 3.2 million cars and trucks.” - Bloomberg [full article]

The world is moving rapidly to electric vehicles, and people are asking, Do Electric Vehicles Need Special Tires? Yes, they do! Everything that makes SMART tires great for EVs will also make them a phenomenal tire for gas-powered cars and trucks. EVs are 10-20% heavier than gas-powered vehicles and have a quicker acceleration. Putting regular tires on an EV can cause the tires to wear more quickly.

The SMART Tire Company is proud to be working with Hyundai & Kia to help usher in a new era of automotive transportation, that is safer, more sustainable, with smarter tire technologies for the driving future.