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.”
Following a qualifying round that saw 50 candidates eliminated on the grounds of their wet and snow braking performance, German motoring magazine Auto Bild has now published the results of its 2016 comparative evaluation of winter tyres.
In addition to its acquisition of Hoosier Racing Tire, Continental AG reports it has taken an approximately 81 per cent shareholding in US fleet management solutions provider Zonar Systems Inc. Upon announcing the share purchase, Continental noted that its involvement in Zonar has the potential to “chart the course of the future of smart fleet management” around the world.
Germany’s Continental AG has acquired US-based tyre specialist Hoosier Racing Tire for an undisclosed sum. The deal to purchase the formerly privately-owned company was completed on 3 October. The acquisition of Hoosier Racing Tire follows seven years of collaboration with Continental, during which time the two companies worked together on various development and motorsport projects.
The Continental brand’s return to the OTR tyre segment has gained traction with the official launch of the ContiEarth range at MINExpo. Continental presented two versions of ContiEarth at the Las Vegas show, the EM-Master and the RDT-Master.
Experience with truck fleets in Germany has shown Continental that while both fleet owners and drivers appreciate the value of tyre pressure monitoring systems, more than two-thirds of all fleets don’t yet realise the full potential that digitalisation offers. The tyre maker and automotive systems provider aims to change this, and has introduced a digital product that extends the benefits delivered by ContiPressureCheck, the TPMS first introduced by Continental in 2013 and now offered in 27 markets around the world.
Upon its launch in European markets three years ago, Continental’s new tyre pressure monitoring system was only available as a retrofit option. The availability of ContiPressureCheck has now been extended to tyres shipped straight from the factory with sensors already installed. Continental is using the name ‘iTire’ to distinguish these products from standard tyres.
Natural rubber derived from dandelion roots is making its debut in truck and bus tyres and components produced by Continental. The German manufacturer will unveil a number of products that contain this raw material at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show this month, including Conti EcoPlus HD3 tyres made during the summer. These items merely offer a taste of things to come, however, as Continental states that production of Taraxagum – the name given to its dandelion rubber – will commence sometime within the next five to ten years.
Work on its ‘Taraxagum – Dandelion Rubber Tires’ project has won Continental both the Innovation and the Green Award at Automechanika 2016. Maria Hanczuch from the Continental Business Development for Passenger and Light Truck Tires business unit accepted the award at the Frankfurt show on behalf of the tyre maker.
Continental will introduce its new Conti EfficientPro steer and drive axle tyres at next week’s IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Germany. This new, rolling resistance optimised range, specifically developed for long-distance motorway transport, draws upon the technologies already used in Continental’s EcoPlus tyre series. All Conti EfficientPro fitments have been given an EU tyre label rating of ‘A’ for fuel efficiency.
The Automechanika Innovation Awards 2016 have been announced – and tyre manufacturer Continental and tyre equipment manufacturer Corghi are amongst the winners. On 23 August 2016, the independent jury of nine experts reached agreement on eight award winners whose innovative solutions and future-oriented products will be presented for the first time in an interactive special show in the ‘Festhalle’ during the coming Automechanika Frankfurt on 13 September 2016.
To meet the growing demand of Asian vehicle manufacturers for surrounding sensors, production of short-range radar sensors was launched in Calamba in the Philippines towards the end of 2015. Short-range radar sensors perform functions like Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Assist. Driving forces include legal requirements, but the customers’ demands for more safety and comfort are also of key importance. Additionally, the production of the Multi Function Camera with Lidar will be launched in autumn this year. The plan is to produce over ten million short range radar sensors and one million camera systems in Calamba in the future.
According to Continental, Asia remains the number one growth market for the automotive industry – and the numbers are impressive: Over 50 per cent of all vehicles produced worldwide come from Asian car manufacturers and approximately 30 per cent of all vehicles manufactured worldwide come from Japanese automakers. Ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japanese vehicle manufacturers are also amongst the automotive companies that are pushing the development of innovations in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving.
On the 4 July, as the USA began to celebrate its independence day, Continental AG’s UK subsidiary (Continental Tyre Group) announced it had bought Bandvulc (B.V. Environmental Ltd.), one of only two substantially sized independent retreaders left in the UK. Legally, the takeover establishes Bandvulc as a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental UK Group Holdings Limited. T&A understands Bandvulc’s existing management team are to continue to lead the business.
As of 1 September, Vincent Charles will fill the vacancy at Continental left by the departure of Hannes Boekhoff in late March. Charles will progress from his current role of currently corporate spokesman for business and finance at continental, a position he has held since January 2015, to become the company’s head of Corporate Media Relations.
A new research facility for industrialising the cultivation and processing of rubber harvested from Russian dandelions will be set up in Germany as part of Continental’s plan to bring tyres containing this rubber to market under the ‘Taraxagum’ brand name. On 12 August, the company presented plans to establish such a facility in Anklam, near the Baltic Sea island of Usedom. Continental will operate the Taraxagum Lab Anklam in collaboration with the IME Fraunhofer Institute, Julius Kühn Institute, Quedlinburg, and plant breeding specialist firm Eskusa GmbH.
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