Hannover-based Continental AG is a leading automotive supplier and – according to the company – is “the choice of leading car manufacturers, offering award-winning tyres that deliver responsive braking in all weather conditions.”
Continental tyres have been chosen as original equipment for the new Volkswagen ID.3. The electric hatchback will be fitted with the EcoContact 6 in 18- and 19-inch sizes. Buyers selecting winter tyres will receive the WinterContact TS 850 P. The summer and winter tyres supplied for the ID.3 will feature ContiSeal puncture protection technology.
The future of Continental is taking shape – 15 months after holding a groundbreaking ceremony for its new headquarters site in Hannover, Germany, last week the tyre maker and automotive systems provider held a topping out ceremony for the facility. During the ceremony, Continental chief executive officer Dr Elmar Degenhart reported that the progress remains “right on schedule” and the buildings will be ready to be occupied in time for the company’s 150th anniversary in 2021.
Pyrolyx AG shares gained 6 per cent in Australian trading after the company announced it has entered a rCB supply deal with Continental AG, according to Nasdaq.
Continental AG and Pyrolyx have entered into a five-year recycled carbon black (rCB) supply agreement for Continental tyre manufacturing facilities worldwide. The companies have been cooperating on developments in the technology field of recovered carbon black “over recent years”, according to Continental. Furthermore, the latest joint development commitment aims to lay the foundation for using recovered carbon black (rCB) in various tyre segments during tyre production.
An addition to the Continental TractorMaster range will be presented at next week’s Agritechnica show. Called the TractorMaster Hybrid, the new tyre comes with built-in pressure sensors. The pressure and temperature information these provide enables operators to adjust tyre pressure to match the task at hand. Continental’s aim is to deliver a tyre that offers traction with lower soil compaction in the field and greater comfort on the road.
Tyre people often remind us that the tyre is a vehicle’s only point of contact with the ground. This is, of course, true and a very salient point. However, as tyres get smarter, so are roads and infrastructure.
Testing for the Extreme E off-road electric racing series began earlier this month at the Château de Lastours off-road proving grounds in the south of France. One question the tested aimed to answer during proceedings was how well the car and tyres work together. They also looked into any potential weaknesses in the electric race car’s physical and technical design, not least in its motor. The tests lasted several days and were run by Continental, tyre supplier to Extreme E, and Spark Racing Technology.
Continental celebrated the grand opening of its Clinton, Mississippi, tyre factory on 16 October 2019. with a grand opening ceremony yesterday. The celebration marks the completion of the construction process, which began in 2016. Approximately 300 guests, including state and local officials, along with community members, customers, and suppliers as well as 250 Continental employees joined the event.
Consumers benefit from independent tyre tests, but the advice given is sometimes conflicting. Whereas Auto Bild declares that all-season tyres can provide a safe solution for year-round motoring, ACE still believes motorists must live with a compromise when choosing these products.
The results of this year’s Auto Bild winter tyre test are now out, and although the usual suspects have topped the table, the final scores offered a surprise or two. One tyre maker – Apollo Vredestein – has particular reason to be happy with this year’s results: Two of its products achieved the publication’s top ‘exemplary’ rating.
More than eight per cent of Continental’s current global workforce may be affected by measures introduced over the coming decade to reduce its gross costs by 500 million euros a year from 2023. Continental says up to 20,000 jobs worldwide are expected to be affected by this restructuring programme over the coming ten years; around 15,000 of these by the end of 20
Jörg Wörner has been named the new customer solutions engineer for earthmover tyres within Continental’s Commercial Specialty Tires (CST) business area. His arrival boosts the technical customer service operation in the EMEA region, which Continental says is “instrumental” in its drive to “focus directly on customers.”
Not only did the @MichelinTyre-based chart see Bibendum plant its flag at the top of the tree, it also shows that the French tyre manufacturer is extending its lead. According to the 2019 data, Michelin’s overall score of 86.5 is now 7.5 points clear of second place as opposed to 6.5 points last year. It is also worth mentioning that Michelin demonstrates the best parity between the Klear and RightRelevance social metrics as well as the smallest gap between its primary and secondary RightRelevance sub-topics. In addition, with 84 points, Michelin achieved the highest score on the “Tire Industry” RightRelevance sub-topic (see below for details on how we calculated our score and what these terms mean).
The augmentation of Continental’s tyre offer to commercial fleets with digital services is a natural focus for a corporation with divisions devoted to vehicle technology. For its commercial vehicle tyre business unit, the strategic route to solutions provider, matching the digital transformation of the transport industry, is a particularly clear one, with many of the newly available technologies to improve logistics performance already part of its corporate structure. The leading tyre and digital solutions provider is currently taking the ‘digital leap’ forward, increasing its innovative portfolio of digital capabilities to enhance efficiency across the commercial vehicle industry. This integration of tyre services into its truck and bus tyre business was signified with the establishment of Conti’s Fleet Solutions department in early 2019.
The bag of goodies Continental is bringing to Agritechnica 2019 includes a new intelligent tyre that’ll be unveiled during the show. The TractorMaster H – the suffix stands for Hybrid – is equipped with VF technology and sensors that continuously measure and monitor tyre pressure and temperature. Continental is introducing the TractorMaster H in response to the trend towards fully-automated agricultural vehicles and machinery that rely upon component monitoring systems. It comments that the use of smart tyres increases productivity, yield, and operator comfort while reducing fuel consumption, tyre wear, and downtime and maintenance costs.
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