How Hankook Tire achieved its current position

If you mention Korean tire companies, who do you think of?

If you talk about tire companies that gradually open up the high-end market by original luxury cars, who do you think of?

If you talk about the fastest and best growing tire companies in recent years, who do you think of?

Yes, the tire company we are going to talk about today is the big Hankook in small Korea!

01 Hankook's new brand, bravely enters Europe
Recently, Hankook Tire launched a new sub-brand Optimo in Europe. Ten years ago, Hankook Tire celebrated the launch of its sub-brand Laufenn in Europe. Now, the tire manufacturer announced the launch of another sub-brand of the group, Optimo, which has been launched in the European market.

In 2015, Hankook Tire launched Laufenn, and the brand has now established a foothold in the European market with a complete product portfolio of passenger cars, SUVs, vans, buses and trucks. Hankook Tire is now launching a new second brand Optimo in Europe.

Hankook said that Optimo helps to secure market share in the increasingly fierce competition and provide new opportunities in markets and sales channels with untapped potential. The brand will offer a clear and focused product range, including summer, all-season and winter tires.

Through this strategic step, Hankook Tire aims to further increase its market share in Europe and better meet customer needs through a diversified brand portfolio. At the same time, Hankook Tire also has a high brand recognition in the Chinese tire market!

In 2024, the number of original tires provided by Hankook Tire for new cars in the Chinese market officially exceeded 200 million.

From 2000 to 2023, the cumulative sales of new passenger cars in China reached about 320 million, and Hankook Tire supplied 200 million original tires for new cars in the Chinese market, which means that about 50 million new cars were originally equipped with Hankook tires.

Such a high market penetration rate once again proves that its reliable quality and excellent performance products are deeply recognized by Chinese automakers and consumers.

The recognition of thousands of car owners in the Chinese market by the Hankook brand is inseparable from good products as the basic bricks and stones.

Hankook products have firmly grasped the market in more than 160 countries and regions around the world, including China and the United States.

02 Multiple new products, taking control of the United States
Foreign media reports show that Hankook Tire USA has added three tires to its product lineup: Dynapro evo AS, next-generation Dynapro HT2 and the latest Ventus evo.

Dynapro evo AS is a high-performance, all-season tire for vehicles in the luxury SUV category. It is designed with performance in mind and focuses on road SUV drivers.

In the Dynapro series, the updated Dynapro HT2 provides better mileage, all-season performance, lower road noise and a comfortable driving experience. The size of Ventus evo is suitable for sedans and SUVs, taking into account high-performance driving in summer.

It is a new ultra-high performance (UHP) summer tire. The launch of three new products at one time shows that Hankook Tire is full of confidence in the US market.

Similarly, Hankook's tire products are also supported and recognized by the majority of car owners in the Chinese market. Rich product lines meet the needs of different car owners.

The Wanshitu series focuses on high performance and handling, suitable for users who pursue driving pleasure and high-speed driving. Amate is known for its comfort and high cost performance. Yingfulan focuses on green, low-carbon and fuel-saving and environmental protection.

It adopts high-efficiency dynamic contour technology and green fuel-saving formula, which is suitable for users who pay attention to environmental protection and energy saving. The Winter icept and Winter iPike series are designed for winter driving, providing excellent grip and safety for vehicles, and are suitable for use in cold climates. iON is designed for new energy vehicles and provides low-noise and high-efficiency tire products.

At present, Hankook Tire has a rich and complete product line in the Chinese market, which fully meets the needs of users in various categories and levels of passenger car market. At the same time, the number and quality of Hankook Tire's OE partners are also the best interpretation of Hankook products in the market.

03 8 major global factories, production capacity determines status
Brands illuminate products, products shape brands, products and brands complement each other, and Hankook Tire is in short supply.

In January 2025, Hankook Tire began installing steel frames for its second factory in Clarksville, Tennessee, USA. The scale and appearance of this factory are no different from its first US factory opened in 2017.

It is reported that the investment in this factory is as high as 1.6 billion US dollars (about 11.7 billion RMB), and it is about 70 kilometers northwest of Nashville, the capital of Tennessee.

Hankook Tire provides differentiated products and services for different needs in different regions through a global production, R&D, sales, marketing and communication network. At present, Hankook Tire has 8 major tire factories and 5 major R&D centers worldwide. Its products are exported to more than 160 countries and regions around the world, and 20,000 employees deliver high-quality tire products to car owners around the world.

In recent years, Hankook Tire has continued to expand and further expand its global market share. This is the best answer from the market to Hankook Tire.

04 Restart the ONE plan and strengthen channel construction
Of course, Hankook Tire's success in the global market is inseparable from the company's insight into channels. Recently, Hankook Tire restarted the ONE plan, which was first launched in 2012 to provide enhanced incentives and recognition for tire dealers, including more rewards and support for dealers. Dealers can now get higher cash rewards with lower sales thresholds, making the plan more accessible. Recently, Hankook restarted the ONE plan to strengthen channel construction.

In today's highly competitive business environment, Hankook Tire not only focuses on brand building and product upgrades, but also strengthens channels. Enrich channel coverage and rationalize channel layout to better adapt to market changes and maintain competitive advantages with channels as touchpoints.

05 Strong R&D, unyielding
Of course, Hankook Tire has always been forward-looking in the direction of R&D.

Hankook Tire has invested heavily in the research and development of new energy vehicle tires many years ago, launched the iON new energy tire series in 2022, and officially entered the Chinese market in May 2023, and also developed iON ST AS products tailored to the needs of the Chinese market.

In terms of sustainability, Hankook Tire's efforts have gone beyond the company's own business scope. Hankook not only implements the concept of sustainability in all aspects of its own operations such as production, raw material procurement, circulation, and investment, but also joins relevant companies and institutions to create a circular economy model alliance and promote sustainable development of the industry.

In the annual Hankook Tire ESG report, Hankook Tire System presents the important achievements made in recent years in three major areas: ecological value chain, sustainable products, and social responsibility participation.

Since its establishment in 1941, Hankook Tire Technology has grown into a global leader, paving the way for the global tire industry through bold challenges and amazing innovations. Next, can Hankook Tire capture more market share? Can it enter the top five in the world soon? Can it win more high-end original equipment? Let's wait and see!