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.”
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.
Several tyre makers have presented their vision of future products. Michelin, for example, showed the world its Vision concept in 2017 and more recently its Uptis Prototype. Goodyear has its IntelliGrip Urban, Oxygene and Eagle-360, and Bridgestone has ologic technology. Continental unveiled its take on the future at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) this week.
The natural rubber supply chain is very complex. It includes around six million farmers, 100,000 intermediaries and over 500 processing plants. To bring greater transparency to the supply chain, two ‘top-five’ tyre makers are now cooperating with a third party in a joint venture: Michelin and Continental, together with IT agricultural specialist Smag, have formed a company to further develop and deploy a technological solution for mapping sustainability practices. The client-facing portion of this technology is a smartphone app called Rubberway.
Michelin has responded to news published by Reuters yesterday regarding a joint venture with Continental and French agricultural IT services company SMAG. It confirms that the three parties will enter into a joint venture, however it will not be – as stated by Reuters – related to tyre production.
In addition to saving money, truck fleet operators can reduce their vehicles’ environmental footprint by adopting a tyre programme that includes retreading. In light of the current public debate about CO2, Continental has shared on how its ContiRe retreads can help.
In the past it remained open to a potential investment in solid-state battery cell production, however Continental has now ruled out entering this market. Andreas Wolf, chief executive officer of the company’s Powertrain business, states that “the disruptive market no longer offers any attractive economic prospects for battery cell production for Continental.”
Continental is the latest automotive sector company to report lower year-on-year income in the second quarter of the year. The tyre maker and automotive systems supplier describes its fiscal performance during the period as “an overall solid” result despite a “sharply declining market.” It is nevertheless considering ways of keeping its production costs in check, and will report its progress to this end in the weeks to come.
You have to get up early to fool a Tyrepress.com reader. A couple of weeks ago we asked who could correctly identify five winter tyres with remarkably similar tread patterns – and most respondents could.
As of this month, 15 million tyres featuring ContiSeal self-sealing technology have been produced at the Continental factory in Lousado, Portugal. The 15 millionth tyre, a size 255/45 R 19 ContiSportContact 5 SUV destined for original equipment fitment on a Volkswagen, was produced on 23 July and gave cause for a minor celebration at the plant.
A new Continental light commercial vehicle tyre range is being rolled out. It’s called the VanContact Eco, and Continental says the tyre offers “offers impressively high mileage, delivers precise handling and short braking distances on wet and dry roads” as well as lower rolling resistance than its predecessor, the ContiVanContact 200. This claim is backed up by the range’s EU tyre label rating – key VanContact Eco sizes come with an A/A rating for wet braking and fuel efficiency.
Continental has readjusted the full-year 2019 outlook for its tyre-making Rubber Group, primarily in response to declining global car and light vehicle production. It has also readjusted the outlook for its Automotive Group business for the same reason.
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Photo: Continental AG