Continental Tires Sets New Standards in the OE Business with Particularly Low Rolling Resistance

Hanover, Germany, August 12, 2021. Continental’s tire development engineers have accomplished yet another innovative feat: The rolling resistance properties of a EcoContact 6 summer tire designed for Ford have been further improved and now surpass those required for the EU Tire Label’s “Class A” highest ranking by more than 15 percent. Reduced rolling resistance has a significantly positive environmental impact thanks to lower energy consumption. In the case of electric vehicles, maximum range can be increased by as much as 3 to 4 percent as a result. For vehicles with combustion engines, Continental’s calculations – which major carmakers have confirmed – show that a 15 percent reduction in rolling resistance (under otherwise identical conditions) can yield fuel savings of roughly 0.1 liters per 100 kilometers. This, in turn, means a reduction in CO₂ emissions of about 2 grams per kilometer.

Extraordinary improvement in rolling resistance

The substantial reduction in rolling resistance achieved for EcoContact 6 tires was made possible by a variety of design measures such as a reduction in the materials used. Also, innovative technologies have been implemented, for example an optimized rubber compound designed to lower abrasion and particularly heat build-up as a major cause of rolling resistance. “In connection with an original equipment order placed by Ford, we have succeeded in improving rolling resistance properties to an extraordinary degree,” remarked Dr. Holger Lange, Head of Passenger Tire Development for Continental’s original equipment business, adding: “This is all the more remarkable because we managed to achieve this without compromising on tire safety or comfort. » …

Source: Continental Tires