Intelligent tyre with Electro Active Polymer

Forward thinking tyre manufacturer Kumho is paving the way for theworld's first truly eco-friendly racing car. Inspired by the company'ssuccess in this year's Le Mans 24 hour race, it decided to employ itsunique conceptual abilities to show exactly what an environmentallyfriendly Le Mans car of the future could look like. The result is the Epoch!

Epoch by name and nature, Kumho's revolutionarysingle-seater simply bristles with futuristic technology and greencredentials. Its chassis is grown from bamboo, thereby providing animmediate carbon offset, while its lightweight body panels are formedfrom recycled tyre tread rubber.

As you'd expect from one of the world's leading tyre manufacturers, the Epochalso boasts revolutionary tyre technology. Known as EAP (Electro ActivePolymer), it allows the tread and even the shape of the tyres to befundamentally altered simply by passing an electric current through therubber. This is achieved via the positioning of magnets on the hubs andwithin the wheel rims. It effectively allows the characteristics of thetyre to be altered at will, to suit different tastes and conditions.

Source: kumhotyre.co.ukAdded: 17 April 2008