Surwon Technology to Mothball Tire Project
Surwon Technology says it intends to close the chapter on its graphene-enhanced tire project citing its "low commercial viability".
HONG KONG, April 1, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Hong Kong-based graphene pioneer, Surwon Technology says it has decided to discontinue its efforts to make a commercially-available graphene-enhanced road-legal tire blaming its decision on what it called the "prohibitive" price level it would sell for if launched.
The project's termination comes weeks after the company revealed that, in a heavily-tested configuration, a road tire sized for a typical high performance sports saloon would potentially retail at more than US$1,900. At the time, the company said a lower concentration of the graphene compound that had performed so well in testing would reduce the price point but also, potentially, have an adverse effect on the tire's performance.
Surwon Technology's Chief Technology Officer said the company could not rule out revisiting the project at some point in the future but for the time being, it would focus on other matters.
"For a time there, it was even more exciting than usual here at Surwon Technology. The testing of the race variant was phenomenal and, while we learned so much, we just weren't able to make the transition to a viable road tire that didn't cost the earth," he said.
"We'll close this chapter but there is every chance that, at some point down the road, we'll be able to reopen the book and give it the ending it so thoroughly deserves," he concluded.
Surwon Technology's CTO reiterated that the intellectual property associated with the graphene/rubber compound is not up for sale at this time but he said it was unlikely the company would rule out a sale if an appropriate offer was made.
SOURCE Surwon Technology
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