'Fortis' - Kumho's Eco-Friendly SUV with Previously Unattained Levels of Off/On-Road Capability

SUTTON, UNITED KINGDOM – July 30, 2009: Kumho is a tyre manufacturer with a conscience. It produces millions of tyres for today’s SUVs, but is acutely aware that such vehicles will have to change dramatically if they are to survive ever greener vehicular legislation. They will also have to provide a better balance of on- and off-road ability. The company has therefore employed the skills of its in-house designer, Rob Dolton, to demonstrate exactly what tomorrow’s SUVs could be like – the intriguing result is Fortis!

Body panels manufactured from recycled tyre rubber
Fortis has the aggressive stance expected of a highly capable SUV combined with such fresh aesthetic touches as light clusters influenced by Korean glass sculpture. Far more contemporary still are the bumper sections, doors, bonnet, front wings and rear hatch which are manufactured from recycled tyre rubber. Underpinning all this machismo is a modular chassis and drivetrain concept that will be developed through subsequent designs, the platform allowing for different vehicles to be easily packaged around common parts.

The drivetrain comprises four 100hp chassis-mounted motors – one powering each wheel when the vehicle is in 4-wheel drive mode. This 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 in-wheel regenerative braking system gives optimum on-road driving response.

Electric power
Power comes from a Lithium ion battery pack and Kumho believes the viability of such alternative propulsion will depend on the technology becoming as user friendly and convenient as petrol and diesel are today. Fortis’s batteries can therefore be used in two ways: