Hankook presents first pre-production commercial vehicle tyre from Hungary

Hankook has invested €540 million into the expansion of its European plant in Rácalmás, Hungary and will be producing truck and bus tyres in Europe for the first time from this October.

The newly built production facilities are set up for an annual output of more than 800,000 units. At the IAA Transportation, Hankook officially presented the first pre-production tyre manufactured at its new European truck and bus tyre production facilities.

Until now, Hankook has manufactured its truck and bus tyres for the European market exclusively in Korea and China. With the new production line in Hungary, Hankook said this will significantly shorten part of its delivery routes, while increasing the security of supply and shorten delivery times. At the same time, it said CO₂ emissions in logistics decrease because long transport routes from Asia are partially eliminated.

The new Rácalmás production plant will initially focus on 22.5-inch tyres for trucks and buses. As capacity increases and further specifications are approved, Hankook will gradually extend the production line-up to cover a broader range of commercial vehicle types and customer requirements.

Jongho Park, president and COO of Hankook Tire Europe, said: “The expansion of our European production plant with a new line for truck and bus tyres is yet another key milestone for Hankook in Europe.

“The central location of the facilities in Hungary and their proximity to the core European markets is a key locational advantage. It will enable us to supply our European customers with premium commercial vehicle tyres even more reliably and quickly, and to respond to their needs with the greatest possible flexibility.”