Presented for the first time at the IAA MOBILITY 2021 show, the Conti GreenConcept study merges current and future technologies to build sustainable passenger car tires. The concept tire, more than 50 percent of which is made of renewable or recycled materials, aims to minimize the consumption of resources right across the tire value chain. The sustainable concept encompasses everything from the origin and sourcing of materials to the production process and measures aimed at extending the service life.
The Conti GreenConcept comprises 35 percent renewable feedstock. Among the organic materials used are natural rubber from dandelions, silica from the ash of rice husks as well as plant oils and resins, which help to significantly reduce the volume of crude-oil-based materials.
The Conti GreenConcept also comprises 17 percent recycled materials. In addition to reconditioned steel and carbon black, Continental has used polyester from recycled plastic bottles in a tire carcass for the first time ever.
Continental is setting new standards with its innovative lightweight construction technology. The tire weighs just 7.5 kilograms, making it up to 40 percent lighter than a standard tire today. Continental achieved this weight reduction by optimizing the tread design and introducing a special sidewall and novel carcass structure featuring a weight-optimized core.
The specially designed tread on the Conti GreenConcept offers much greater safety margins than a conventional tire with the same tread depth. The use of materials in the tread, too, was optimized, reducing not only the weight of the tire but also its rolling resistance. In-house measurements show that this is now around 25 percent less than that of a tire of rolling resistance class A for the EU tire label – the top class in this range.
In addition, a latest-generation Continental sensor installed inside the tire continuously monitors the tire temperature, pressure and tread depth. This anticipatory tire monitoring system gives drivers even more options for driving in a way that conserves resources.
