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Kumho is a tyre manufacturer, but that hasn’t stopped it designing an eco-friendly SUV.
Called ‘Fortis’, it has body panels – bumper sections, doors, bonnet, front wings and rear hatch – manufactured from recycled tyre rubber.
The drivetrain comprises four 100hp chassis-mounted motors – one powering each wheel when the vehicle is in 4-wheel drive mode. This system provides ultimate off-road traction, ESP and hill descent, while the motor configuration allows for easy transition between 4WD, 2WD, FWD and RWD. It also has an in-wheel regenerative braking system.
Power comes from a Lithium ion battery pack. The batteries can be recharged at home, work or recharge stations. The idea is that that old batteries can be replaced by new ones on longer journeys.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the vehicle also boasts revolutionary tyre technology. Currently, the only way an SUV will provide optimum performance both on and off-road is to change the tyres for each requirement. However the Fortis allows its driver to specify the performance required from just one set of tyres by having a tread pattern that can be adjusted.
The tyres feature metal biters in their tread that optimise off-road performance – when employed, they grip the terrain for maximum traction and durability. For on-road use, the tyre cavity is inflated. This expands the rubber areas of the tyre to cover the metal biters, offering high levels of comfort, noise performance and road-biased dynamic ability.
