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.”
Directional or v-shaped treads offer several advantages on wet and snow-covered roads. Such patterns provide good levels of traction and also effectively remove water from the contact patch, thus offering stability and protection against aquaplaning. These characteristics make directional patterns an obvious choice for winter and all-season tyres, and it’s no surprise that the v-shaped tread is well-represented in these segments.
As of 1 July, Brussels-based Continental subsidiary Continental Benelux has taken over exclusive distribution of Continental car, van and industrial tyres in the Netherlands from Continental Banden Groep (CBG). Continental Benelux is already responsible for the Continental commercial vehicle tyre range in this market, having taken on direct distribution five years ago.
A German court has ruled that certain Aeolus truck tyres infringe an EU design patent held by Continental. The matter has been resolved by an out-of-court settlement that covers damages and a recall of the products in question.
The foundation stone for a new Continental motorcycle tyre factory in Thailand was laid yesterday. The facility in Rayong province will be built alongside the Continental passenger car tyre plant that entered service in March.
Continental Tyre Group has acquired Scottish commercial fleet servicing company R&J Strang Tyre Services Ltd. The company stated that the latest acquisition represents a further step to strengthen its overall commercial fleet service offering across the UK and Ireland.
The two Continental tyre types specially developed for the Extreme E off-road racing series have made their global debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed. Designed for the world’s toughest driving conditions, the new summer and winter tyres were presented to the public along with the electric SUV on which they are to tackle some of the most extreme locations across the globe.
Continental Tyres has appointed Tour de France-winner Geraint Thomas OBE as its new brand ambassador. Since joining Team Sky in 2010, now Team INEOS, Thomas has ridden on Continental tyres at major cycling events around the world.
Customers purchasing tractors from the John Deere 6MC, 6RC, 6M and 6R ranges can now opt for delivery with Continental Tractor75 and Tractor85 tyres. A total of 30 different tyre sizes have been approved for the mid-size tractor model.
Swedish touring car racer Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky has been selected to test the new tyres Continental is developing for the Extreme E rally series. Åhlin-Kottulinsky, the first and to-date only woman to win a race in the TCR Scandinavia Touring Car Championship, will lend her talents towards the development of tyres for what Continental calls “the most extreme racing series the world has ever seen.”
Continental has inaugurated a new, state-of-the-art rubber compound mixing facility at its tyre plant in Alor Setar Malaysia. The tyre maker invested more than MYR 65 million (£10.6 million) in the 3,200 square metre facility at the Alor Setar factory, which produces two-wheeler, car and light commercial vehicle tyres for the domestic and APAC region markets. Its entry into operation is expected to lead to increased capacity and flexibility.
Continental is investing roughly 100 million euros in the expansion of its Lousado, Portugal radial earthmoving and port tyres production facilities. As a result of the investment, the newly-expanded plant, which will continue to focus on production of tyres with diameters over 24 inches, more than 100 new jobs will be created.
On 5 June 2019 Continental opened the new Advanced Indoor Evaluation Center at its Ulvade, Texas testing facility. The company has invested around 9 million euros in the new facility, which tests the properties of passenger car tyres. The Advanced Indoor Evaluation Center is designed to test all passenger tyre models manufactured in Continental’s North and South American tyre plants.
Continental’s ultra-high performance summer tyre, the SportContact 6 is currently available in a range of 101 articles, produced for rims with diameters of between 18 and 24 inches. The manufacturer states that the tyre is particularly suited to pure sports cars such as the Audi R8 or Porsche 911 as well as vehicles such as the BMW 5 Series or Mercedes AMG, due to its high-grip Black Chili compound, tread design, and Aralon 350 reinforced construction, which offers safe driving up to 220mph.
Several tyre makers have received new silverware of late, with OEM partners in the vehicle manufacturing sector handing out awards to honour their suppliers. We’ve already shared news of awards Hankook Tire received from Honda and General Motors; more recently, Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Maxxis and Pirelli have commented on the accolades they’ve gained.
Hail, CESAR. A year after having the Conti360° fleet service administration tool integrated into its system landscape, European truck and trailer rental firm PEMA says it is delighted with the benefits it brings. The Continental-developed fleet administration system provides digitalised tyre management for the more than 18,000 commercial vehicles in the PEMA rental fleet, allowing vehicle- and service-relevant data to be continuously exchanged and updated via a user interface.
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