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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
While Kumho has no intentions of jumping into the car-making business as of yet, the Korean tyre manufacturer decided to make use of the skills of its in-house designer and former Fiat Advanced Design employee, Rob Dolton, to demonstrate what tomorrow's SUVs could be like. The result is the Fortis, a three-door crossover with a fully-electric drivetrain that comprises of four 100hp chassis-mounted motors, one for each wheel.
The designer claims that the system provides ultimate off-road traction, ESP and hill descent, while the motor configuration allows for easy transition between 4WD, 2WD, FWD and RWD. The electric motors are powered by a Lithium ion battery pack that can be recharged at home, work or at a recharge station.
A
s you would expect from a concept that was created by a tyre maker, the Fortis boasts ground-breaking tyre technology. In particular, the tread pattern can (theoretically speaking) be adjusted at will to provide optimum performance for both on and off-road.
According to Kumho, the tyre threads feature special metal biters that optimize off-road performance when employed, while for on-road use, the tyre cavity is inflated thus expanding the rubber areas to cover the metal biters.
Dolton also found a way to make use of used tyres as the vehicle's bumper sections, doors, bonnet, front wings and rear hatch are all manufactured from recycled tyre rubber.
