Hankook Tire released its fifth generation lineup of truck and bus radial (TBR) tires this week at ATA's Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting in Nashville.
At the event, Hankook also shared updates on the phased expansion of its Tennessee Plant to increase TBR capacity, where Phase 3 construction is underway concurrently with Phase 2.
"TMC provides a great opportunity to showcase the many innovations and exciting updates happening on the TBR side with Hankook. It’s exciting to be part of TMC in the same city as our North America headquarters in Nashville and our U.S. manufacturing plant in nearby Clarksville," says Rob Williams, president of Hankook Tire America Corp. "With advanced, new tech-forward products and the promise of a significant expansion of our TBR manufacturing capacity, we look forward to continue our growth and industry leadership, especially in such an innovative sector. This event gives us a perfect opportunity to connect with fleets and industry stakeholders and strengthen customer partnerships.
Aligning with the planned plant expansion, the new additions to Hankook’s TBR family and all future truck and bus tire products will be brought to market under the Hankook Smart Brand. The company says Smart Brand tires utilize Hankook’s Smartec technology philosophy, integrating innovations such as Self-Generated 3D Sipe technology and new tread compounds. With innovative new technology and an increased effort in domestic manufacturing, Hankook continues to improve and provide value for customers.
Hankook's new tires on display at TMC are:
- Smart Flex: AH51 / DH51 / DH52 – Premium performance all-condition tire for extended mileage and lifespan; AH51 and DH52 available Q2 2025; DH51 available Q3 2025
- Smart Line: TL52 – Smart trailer tire optimized for long-haul performance manufactured at Hankook Tire’s U.S. manufacturing plant in Clarksville, Tenn.; available later this year;
- eSmart City AU56 – Exclusive electric commercial vehicle tire for high load capacity, extended battery efficiency and tread life; available Q4 2025
Additionally, the Tennessee Plant in Clarksville is currently undergoing Phase 2 of the Passenger Car and Light Truck (PCLT) Line and Phase 3 of the Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) Line expansion simultaneously.
Upon completion of the expansion plan, Hankook says the facility will employ approximately 2,200 people, achieve an expected annual production capacity of 10 million PCLT and 1 million TBR tires, and become one of the largest tire plants in North America.
