Hankook has expanded its e-cube Blue trailer tire line with special steering and drive-axle threads designed for efficiency and fuel savings, the company announced at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany.

The tire line is being released in Europe but the company has plans to bring it to the U.S. market in the future.

The new tire product line is a long-haul system solution and with the new steering and drive axle versions, Hankook is presenting a complete lineup of low-rolling resistance tires. The e-cube Blue line enables fleets to gain and additional 8% of tire-related fuel efficiency and up to 55% more durability, according to Hankook.

The tread design, which is tailored for each particular axle position, also helps to further reduce fuel consumption and increase mileage without affecting dynamic characteristics such as braking and traction performance.

Both central rib tread blocks of the e-cube Blue AL20 steering axle tires support each other through their interlocking design, which increases tread block rigidity and helps to reduce rolling resistance. The stepped main tread groove design gives extra support for each tread block side. Moreover, they provide straight stability and improved steering response. The largely closed tread design in the shoulder rib area ensures particularly uniform tire wear.

The tread appearance of the e-cube Blue DL20 steering axle tires is characterized by a central 4-block design of the massive central rib. The offset arrangement of the individual tread blocks guarantees interlocking action on both sides and results in mutual support for very good traction performance while reducing rolling resistance at the same time. In addition, the horizontally arranged semi-deep extra sipes in combination with tie bars in the open shoulder block area further promote traction.

The extra-wide contour of the e-cube Blue TL20 trailer tires supports a very high driving stability and optimizes wear resistance. The multi-sipes added in the central rib area prevent uneven wear without affecting tread rib stability. The closed 4-groove tread design provides lateral stability and also a very low rolling noise.

All three e-cube Blue products feature a tread compound with highly structured carbon black molecules for high fuel efficiency. In addition, the complete e-cube Blue tire family also features all basic technologies of the Hankook e-cube product group, which uses Hankook's  mixture process IMS (Innovative Mixing System). This results in an even distribution of carbon black and rubber molecules within the mixture.

Together with longer mixing times at lower temperatures, this significantly increases the bonding rate between the carbon black and rubber molecules. As a result, e-cube tires produce less heat during driving. The patented Hankook Stiffness Control Contour Theory (SCCT) design technology provides an even distribution of pressure inside the tire and thus promotes more stability and less movement in the tire. This results in high carcass durability and offers customers very good retreadability and economy.