- Nokian has developed a winter tire with retractable studs.
- They automatically deploy or retract based on temperatures.
- Tires will be launched this fall and available in multiple sizes.
Nokian invented winter tires in 1934 and they’ve been helping motorists ever since. While tires have improved over the decades, the company’s latest development sounds like something straight out of science fiction.
That’s because their latest product is the “world’s first studded winter tire that automatically adjusts to changes in temperature.” Known as the Hakkapeliitta 01, the tire has studs that ‘switch’ on and off.
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The company has been exploring the idea for over a decade and introduced a concept winter tire with retractable studs in 2014. They’ve been working tirelessly to bring that technology to production tires and this has seen them test thousands of prototypes in a wide variety of conditions ranging from indoor labs to the Arctic Circle.
Studs That React To The Cold
Thanks to years of work, Nokian was able to develop an adaptive base layer that houses the studs. When temperatures are cold, the base layer pushes out the studs and keeps them deployed.
When the weather warms up, the “compound softens and produces less force on the studs.” This enables them to sink back down into the tire and fully retract.
The new tire offers a number of benefits compared to their older Hakkapeliitta 10s including a 30% reduction in road wear as well as a one decibel quieter noise level. The company also said the latest winter tire offers a 10% improvement in ice grip as well as a 5% improvement in wet grip.
Those are significant advances and Nokian said the Hakkapeliitta 01 is designed for passenger cars, crossovers and sport utility vehicles. It will be offered in 122 sizes ranging from 14- to 22-inches.
The tires will be launched this fall and produced at the company’s factory in Nokia, Finland. The big question remains pricing, but it’s safe to assume the Hakkapeliitta 01s won’t be cheap.
Nokian’s Mikko Liukkula said, “We developed a solution where grip adjusts automatically to the temperature, delivering maximum safety when it’s needed, and more controlled, gentler road contact when it’s not. This helps drivers account for winter weather that is less predictable than ever, while navigating new regulations related to tires’ impact on the road.”