NEW TIRES SUPPORT THE HOLISTIC CONTILIFECYCLE CONCEPT

Continental extended the reach of the holistic ContiLifeCycle concept in 2024 and launched another two Generation 5 tire lines. The new Conti Eco Gen 5 for long-distance and regional haulage and the Conti Urban HA 5 for urban buses stand out with their optimized rolling resistance and long lifespan, without restricting the recyclability of the casings. In the tire development process, consideration was also given to criteria such as retreading and cost-effectiveness as part of a cradle-to-grave approach. In addition, the tires contribute to future-focused, digital fleet management with their cost efficiency: “Digitalization is also a highlight feature of the new tire line,” says Hinnerk Kaiser, Head of Product Development EMEA at Continental. “All Generation 5 tires are fitted with an RFID chip. They can also be factory fitted with tire sensors as an option, and so are part of the ContiConnect digital tire management solution.”

Holistic, Sustainable, Fit For The Future

ContiLifeCycle is a holistic approach that focuses on recycling tires and extending their lifespan. It is part of a comprehensive tire management system for fleets from the Conti360° Solutions business area. ContiLifeCycle helps fleet operators to minimize the total operating costs of their vehicles and to boost the sustainability performance of their company. The concept is based on circular economy principles and covers new tires, casing management and retreading.

Preserving Resources With Retreading

Retreaded tires replace new tires by recycling components and materials. The tire casing takes center stage here. A retreaded tire uses up to 85 percent less material than a new tire. (Source: Internal tests in 2023. For production of the ContiTread HTR2 S 295 3.25 m with 385/65 R22.5 casing vs. a new tire.) The Continental range includes cold-retreaded ContiTread tires and hot-retreaded ContiRe tires.

Higher Fleet Efficiency Thanks To TCO Optimization And CO2 Reduction

The transport industry is driven by strong competition, intense cost pressures and customers with high expectations. Consequently, overall cost effectiveness given optimum efficiency – i.e. the TCO – is of prime importance for all concerned. Even today, OEMs value the benefits of low rolling resistance more highly in the TCO than fleet operators and therefore already tend to opt more for tires with optimized rolling resistance. Currently, around 89 percent of a tire’s CO₂ emissions occur during its use phase. “This proportion can only be lowered by reducing rolling resistance,” says Kaiser. A reduction in rolling resistance brings fuel savings and lower CO₂ emissions at the same time as saving costs. “The Conti Eco Gen 5 is a prime example here. This is more than a mere shift in performance; it marks a genuine leap forward. And we are also in the process of improving tire sustainability beyond the use phase, i.e. in the supply chains, the materials used and tire disposal,” he adds.

The retreaded tire range comprises the following lines:

ContiRe hot-retreaded tires

ContiRe EcoPlus, ContiRe Hybrid, ContiRe CityService, ContiRe CoachRegio, ContiRe Coach, ContiRe Urban, ContiRe CrossTrac; winter tires: ContiRe Scandinavia, ContiRe HSW2, HDW2 and HTW2, ContiRe UrbanScandinavia.

ContiTread cold-retreaded tires 

ContiTread Eco Gen 5 , ContiTread Hybrid, ContiTread CityService, ContiTread CityPlus, ContiTread CoachRegio, ContiTread Coach, ContiTread Urban, ContiTread CrossTrac, ContiTread HDC1; winter tires: ContiTread Scandinavia, ContiTread ScanExtreme and ContiTread UrbanScandinavia.