The increasing number of EV fleets is altering the focus of tire development. The challenge here lies in matching the tire characteristics to exacting requirements in terms of safety, handling, comfort and other aspects. In the race to find ideas offering the best possible solution, time is a key factor. The rapid pace of progress in the electric mobility segment means demand for suitable tires is on the rise.
Improving rolling resistance is essential to get the best range for an electric vehicle, that is, the largest possible distance traveled before recharging.
- Helmut Keller, Continental Truck Tires Brand Manager
- Developing a Tire for the Future
- Boosting Efficiency with Digital Tire Management
- Economically and Ecologically Efficient
Modern fleets have diverse requirements according to the application, including frequent acceleration, braking, maneuvering and cornering on a variety of road surfaces. The last-mile delivery segment has expanded rapidly, requiring tire technology to keep pace with this shift. When designing the sustainable concept tire, the Conti Urban, Continental’s tire developers focused their efforts on achieving high energy efficiency while optimizing noise emissions. A newly developed tread compound, the widening of the tread itself, and the exceptionally rigid profile help to reduce rolling resistance by 7%, with up to 20% more mileage than its Gen 3 predecessor. With durable casings, optimized siping and enhanced sidewall protection, safety still remains of utmost importance in addition to a smoother, quieter ride.
A productive and sustainable future requires integrated, fleet-specific tire management. ContiConnect 2.0, the latest generation of continuous digital condition monitoring from Continental, ensures your tires always perform at their best. This saves fuel, cuts CO2 emissions and prevents unscheduled tire changes and service visits, avoiding all the costly vehicle downtime that these entail. Customers who trust ContiConnect benefit from a more efficient fleet, reduced costs and significant time savings because tire maintenance can be planned in advance and performed as needed. In addition to real-time pressure and temperature monitoring, fleet managers will also be able to keep an eye on the mileage, tread depth and the overall condition of each individual tire in their fleet. Each ContiConnect solution can be personalized depending on need, making fleet management even more efficient, simple and sustainable.
The tire sensor is the heart of ContiConnect, which is capable of measuring pressure, temperature and mileage from inside the tire. Depending on application, it transfers data via RFID or Bluetooth to a control unit or yard reader. This information is pushed to the ContiConnect app which enables data-driven tire inspections and on-demand data readouts in the yard or on the road.
Although climate and environmental protection do not form part of a transportation company’s main purpose, efficiency is expected by the customer. In the context of e-mobility, future success goes hand-in-hand with economic performance and sustainable production. Whether by regulatory or market demands, emission reduction and fuel efficiency have become increasingly important priorities for transportation and logistics companies. Continental tires and tire management solutions allow fleet customers to reduce their environment impact while protecting already tight profit margins.
With the new Conti Urban tire, approximately 50% of production materials are renewable and recyclable. The tread alone consists of 70% renewable material, with all natural rubber sourced from a highly traceable development project in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. After its first retreading, the Conti Urban increases the share of renewable and recycled feedstock to more than 90%.
How are EVs different from conventional vehicles for fleets?
Commercial vehicles with electric and hybrid drives, whether battery electric or fuel cell powered, require special tire characteristics. Continental, one of the world’s largest automotive technology and tire manufacturers, has squared up to the challenge and designed tires that meet the needs of fleets using electric trucks, electric buses, and other commercial electric vehicles (EV).
Continental has 150 years of experience with tires, and our automotive expertise means we understand how weight, braking, terrain, and other factors influence the whole vehicle. Our extensive work as an automotive supplier for electric vehicles (EV) and autonomous vehicles gives us first-hand insight. No other company offers both kinds of engineering knowledge.
Interested in Gen5?
We will start our Generation 5 with the new ContiHybrid HS5 and ContiHybrid HD5 – available in Q3, 2022. To request further information, please contact us and we will direct you to your local expert.