Continental introduces new drive axle winter tyre for coaches

A new Continental drive axle tyre developed specifically for fitment on coaches aims to provide passengers with enhanced safety during the winter months. The tyre maker claims its HDW2 Coach “outperforms M+S tyres and exceeds the performance requirements of the 3PMSF certification.”

“With the HDW2 Coach, Continental now offers a brand-new and highly specialised winter tyre option for fleet operators,” says Constantin Batsch, vice-president for truck tyres in the EMEA region. “Transport professionals will benefit from its perfectly balanced performance profile that provides optimum safety and reliability on wet, snowy and icy roads.”

The HDW2 Coach is available in size 295/80 R 22.5 and rounds off the product family that already includes a steer axle HSW2 Coach fitment. The new drive axle tyre features a combination of deep grooves, 3D sipes and special traction sipes. Continental comments that these characteristics work in synergy to transmit tractive and lateral forces safely and efficiently to snowy and icy roads throughout the tyre’s lifetime. The manufacturer adds that testing shows the HDW2 Coach to wear evenly.

“Thanks to the innovative tread pattern design and compound technology, the HDW2 Coach maintains excellent tread and pattern stiffness, making it highly robust and unsusceptible to damage should it come into contact with the kerbstone,” shares Continental. “Furthermore, the high stiffness promotes excellent handling performance in combination with the steer axle tyre HSW2 Coach. Like all Continental tyres, the HDW2 Coach is designed for optimum efficiency, including when it comes to the robustness of the casing. Thanks to its excellent retreadability, the HDW2 Coach allows for multiple service lives.”