Hankook Tire signed a two year extension of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with UB1st, a leading Korean fleet management service provider.
Hankook Tire Partners with UB1st
UB1st operates ‘UbiKhan’, a telematics service provider with 100,000 registered vehicles including commercial and passenger vehicles. Hankook Tire and UB1st signed the strategic partnership agreement in 2020 to develop a tyre and vehicle management solution using big data. Under the newly signed agreement, the two parties will continue their partnership until 2024.
The initial partnership proved to be of great success. Hankook Tire developed a fleet solution for optimising total cost of ownership (TCO) through the analysis of data collected with the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Digital Tacho Graph (DTG). The company successfully concluded the solution test with a Korean transportation company, EHWA Air and Travel Agency, on their buses from July 2020 to September 2021.
Key findings of the conducted pilot tests showed that driving habits such as frequent braking and engine idling could shorten the lifespan and mileage of a tyre and waste fuel. Findings indicated that routine checks of tyre pressure and improving driving habits can reduce fuel consumption and help tyres last longer. With the analysed driving data, Hankook Tire created an accurate vehicle mileage prediction model by referring to each vehicle’s route severity and driver’s driving habits such as sudden acceleration, deceleration, and braking.
Hankook Tire plans on developing a more precise driving optimisation solution and accurate mileage prediction model to fit various types of commercial vehicles. By conducting pilot tests on bus companies that face various driving conditions and collecting a wider pool of experimental data, the company aims to deliver high-quality service to target the fleet and tyre management market.
