Nokian has developed tires with automatically extending studs

Finnish company Nokia has introduced a new winter tire model Hakkapeliitta 01, which uses something unusual. The manufacturer claims that this is the first serial tire with such technology.

The model should go on sale in the fall of 2026 and is aimed primarily at the markets of northern countries with frequent temperature drops and difficult winter road conditions.

How the retractable stud system works

The technology is based on a change in the physical properties of materials, depending on the temperature. Unlike concepts with electromechanical mechanisms, engineers have relied on a multilayer tread structure and a special rubber compound composition.

In relatively warm weather and dry asphalt, the inner layers of the tread change their stiffness and shape so that the spikes are retracted into the tread. When the temperature drops and the road surface becomes slippery, the structure of the material changes and the metal spikes are pushed outward, improving grip on ice.

According to the manufacturer, this system should provide stability on an icy surface without constant contact of the spikes with the asphalt.

Reducing noise and wear

Classic studded tires are often criticized for their high noise level on clean asphalt and accelerated stud wear. The Hakkapeliitta 01 model is supposed to partially solve this problem by ensuring that the studs only work when they are really needed.

This approach can provide several advantages:

• reduction of noise when driving on dry asphalt;
• increase in the life of the studs themselves;
• reduction in damage to the road surface;
• reduction in rolling resistance and potential fuel savings.

The last factor is also related to ecology. Studded tires can destroy the top layer of asphalt and create fine dust, which is why their use is limited in a number of European countries.

The company has not yet disclosed the technical details of the composition of the thermosensitive layer. However, Nokian Tyres claims that the tread shape change mechanism is designed for the entire service life of the tire and does not require maintenance.