Continental has announced the release of new tires for trucks and buses
At the IAA Transportation show, which will take place in Hanover, Germany from September 17 to 22, Continental will present three new truck and bus tires that belong to the premium segment and are characterized by their environmental friendliness, as well as being optimized for use on electric vehicles. The innovations include the cargo Continental EfficientPro HS 5, the bus Continental Urban NXT, and the Continental EcoPlus HT3+ in a version specifically designed for electrically driven trailer axles.
"We are constantly improving the characteristics of our products in the truck segment in terms of environmental friendliness and efficiency," said Holger Lange, head of the truck/bus tire development department at Continental. "The Conti EfficientPro 5 provides increased energy efficiency and reduces fuel consumption, reducing fleet costs and the environmental impact, while the Conti Urban NXT is our most environmentally friendly tire in its segment to date."
Compared to its predecessor, the rolling resistance of the Conti EfficientPro HS 5 has been reduced by 10%, which allowed the tire to receive an "A" rating for fuel efficiency according to the European classification. The novelty is designed for use on the steering axle of tractors, and in size 315/70, it has become, according to the manufacturer, the first tire with a load capacity of 8.5 tons per axle, making it an optimal choice for electric trucks. Additionally, the special composition of the tread compound in combination with a rigid profile also helped reduce rolling resistance, while increasing the tire's mileage by 5% compared to the previous generation model. The profile is also optimized to provide reliable traction and good handling, while the tire has received an "A" rating for external noise level according to the EU labeling system and meets the requirements of the EU taxonomy.
"We have reduced the rolling resistance of the Conti EfficientPro HS 5 by as much as 10% compared to its predecessor, and this is a real technological breakthrough that will help our customers save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions," said Leo Kolodziej, director of the primary equipment segment for Continental's truck tire division in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa). "This is a truly impressive achievement, as the improvement in fuel efficiency was achieved without compromising the tire's braking performance on wet roads, while these two characteristics are conflicting according to the laws of physics."
The Conti EfficientPro HS 5 tires will go on sale in early 2025 in two sizes: 315/70 R22.5 and 385/55 R 22.5, and later additional sizes will be introduced. At the IAA show, the new Continental tires will be installed on trucks from brands such as Ford, Iveco, Scania, and Volvo.
In turn, the Continental Urban NXT tire is designed for the primary equipment of urban buses and, according to the company, combines "exceptionally high" energy efficiency with an increased proportion of used eco-materials. The novelty is optimized with regard to the characteristics of electric buses, and Continental refers to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), which reports that in 2023, every sixth new bus registered in the region with a weight of over 3.5 tons was electric.
The tire is made using up to 59% recycled and renewable raw materials, as well as materials certified to the ISCC Plus environmental standard. Compared to standard tires, the increase in the proportion of secondary materials and materials from renewable sources is up to 25 percentage points, and "green" technical carbon and synthetic rubber are used, for example. The proportion of secondary materials is 3%, including, in particular, rubber from mechanically recycled tires that have served their time, and recycled steel. The proportion of materials from renewable sources is 32%, and this is mainly natural rubber (from which, incidentally, it was recently decided to abandon in the Russian tire industry).
The rolling resistance of the Conti Urban NXT has been reduced by 25% compared to the Conti Urban HA3, which allows increasing the range of electric buses by 15%, while the densely spaced interlocking lamellas are designed to improve traction, handling, and braking efficiency, including on wet surfaces, throughout the life of the tire. The compound has been improved to increase resistance to wear, cuts, punctures, and cracking, and the mileage has been increased by 15%, Continental adds.
A pre-production version of the new tire will be presented in Hanover, and its market launch is scheduled for next year, and initially, the size 275/70 R22.5 will be available.
Finally, the third innovation will be the Conti EcoPlus HT3+ tire, adapted for use on electrified trailer axles and "distinguished by an exceptional balance between traction, rolling resistance, and significantly increased load capacity."
The manufacturer claims that the load capacity has been increased by 500 kg per axle, a prototype of the new tires was presented back in 2022, and the partner during the design was the company Trailer Dynamics, which specializes in the development of electric and aerodynamic components for trailers. The goal of the project was to create a tire that reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions when operating electric trailers.
The Conti EcoPlus HT3+ has a tread pattern with winding lamellas that increase traction, while the innovative rubber compound improves the balance between traction and wear resistance. The tire is suitable for use in any weather conditions (it has a 3PMSF marking) and will initially be available in sizes 355/50 R22.5, 385/65 R22.5, and 385/55 R 22.5. The start of sales is scheduled for early 2026.
Continental has also introduced new bus tires in Europe, which were previously released in North America, and in the Old World, they have changed their name to a more "expanded" one, i.e., it has changed from Continental Conti HAU 5 to Continental Conti Urban HAU 5.