Hankook Tire, Grupo Soledad and Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona finalize the agreement on bus tire supply

Premium tire maker Hankook and its Spanish vendor Grupo Soledad recently reached an agreement with Spain’s biggest transport company in the region of Catalonia, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB). The tire maker is now supplying its state-of-the-art city bus tire line “SmartCity AU04+” for the TMB fleet.

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 23 May 2019 – Tire maker Hankook will supply its tires for over 1,100 buses from Barcelona’s most prominent urban bus transportation company, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona. Principally the size 275/70R22.5 for the Hankook city bus line SmartCity AU04+ will be incorporated. This model line is especially designed for urban transportation, fulfilling the increasing customer demands for tire solutions, also specifically for battery-powered urban buses. As these vehicles are generally heavier than conventional buses due to their energy storage units, the tire-models also have an increased load index. The tread of the SmartCity AU04+, which has been designed as an all-year tire, is suitable for all wintry conditions without restriction and sports the snowflake symbol (3PMSF). The new city bus tire line-up is equally suitable for city buses with conventional drive concepts.

Han-Jun Kim, President of Hankook Tire Europe, states: “The agreement with one of Europe’s biggest urban transport companies makes us very proud; especially because it’s an agreement on the usage of our future-oriented technology. This will put the SmartCity AU04+, our first bus tire line for electric-powered buses, on large-scale level on the road. We look forward to expanding our fleet cooperations in Europe, being always on track with new mobility trends.”

In the context of their shared environmental and economic responsibility, Hankook, Grupo Soledad and TMB agreed to use worn tires after the first life cycle for a second as retreaded Hankook Alpha-Tread profiles. In this way, considerable amounts of fossil raw materials and CO2 can be saved for active environmental protection.

On the meeting day of the agreement Ramón Bacardí, the Director of TMB, stated: “The impeccable maintenance of our fleet is very important to keep the urban bus transportation in Barcelona running on the best level. Especially in regards to the tires, it was important to find a reliable partner. With our business now mounted on Hankook tires our technicians and workshop managers have found the first choice to maximize the performance of our fleet. At the same time, we have optimised the respective Total Cost of Ownership.”

The Commercial Director of Grupo Soledad, Manuel Pérez, added: “We are thrilled to have brought up this new cooperation with Hankook and TMB. Like us, both companies are constantly investing into new mobility concepts, materials and operation facilities. The cooperation thus perfectly underlines our commitment to sustainable transport solutions.”