In 1987’s The Living Daylights, James Bond presses a dashboard button to activate retractable tire studs, giving the Aston Martin V8 Vantage he’s driving more traction on a frozen lake. That tire technology is no longer limited to the movies. Later this year, Finnish tire brand Nokian is planning to launch a new snow tire with studs that automatically deploy when temperatures drop. The Hakkapeliitta 01 tire will debut in North American and Europe in a variety of sizes, with a focus on Nordic countries.
Studded tires are an effective way to improve grip and handling when driving in slippery conditions caused by ice or snow. But when roads are dry those studs can result in a bumpy, noisy ride and potentially even damage paved surfaces. For drivers not wanting the inconvenience of swapping on a new set of tires when the cold weather arrives, Nokian (a company that split from cellphone maker Nokia in 1988) spent the last 12 years developing its new Hakkapeliitta 01 winter tire.
Just like in the movies, the tires feature embedded metal studs oriented in different directions based on their placement to maximize traction. However, instead of having to install a dashboard button to deploy or retract the studs, the tire is made from multiple layers, one of which has properties that change based on the temperature. When it’s cold, the material stiffens, pushing the studs outward. When it’s warmer out, the material softens and the studs retract below the outer surface of the tire.
The approach isn’t perfect, there could still be plenty of times when the studs extend due to cold temperatures when there’s no ice or snow on the road. But according to a release from the company, and compared to Nokian’s Hakkapeliitta 10 tires which have metal studs that can’t retract, the Hakkapeliitta 01 tires reduce road wear “by up to 30 percent” while also improving ice grip “by up to 10 percent.”
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