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.”
After receiving all regulatory approvals, the sale of Bridgestone’s Russian assets to S8 Capital has been completed. Bridgestone Europe NV/SA has transferred its tyre manufacturing facility in Ulyanovsk and sales and marketing office in Moscow to the investment company. Thus ends a relationship with Russia that began in 1998.
Continental is now offering an “entry-level solution” for fleets wishing to adopt digital tyre management. This solution centres around a new valve cap sensor that obtains data about tyre condition in a “very timesaving, simple, and manufacturer-independent manner.” The sensor simply screws onto a tyre valve and is compatible with commercial vehicle tyres from all major brands. It measures tyre pressure in real time and connects with ContiConnect receiver units, including phone apps.
On 13 December, Continental invited 150 local political, business and cultural representatives to celebrate the official opening of its new headquarters in Hannover, Germany. It followed this up the next day with a larger event for its workforce. Many employees had by this time thoroughly familiarised themselves with the facility, as they’d begun working there a fortnight earlier.
Continental has launched two new channels for its transport logistics customers. It is combining its services for transport logistics under the VDO brand with myVDO, a source of information, services and assistance with a focus on compliance. The technology firm has recruited active trucker Olli Gleinert as a brand ambassador. Gleinert will explain the new smart tachograph (2nd version), the VDO DTCO 4.1 to fellow drivers and discuss the challenges of the EU Mobility Package I.
As Tyrepress reported on 11 December, Wolfgang Reitzle no longer intends to end his tenure as chairman of the Continental AG Supervisory Board in 2024. At a Supervisory Board meeting on 13 December, he confirmed his availability to serve for an additional two years.
The word sustainability is in everybody’s mouths these days and retreading plays an important role here when it comes to tyres. But although fitting nicely with the zeitgeist, retreading has been around for quite some time. Continental, for instance, has been in the business for more than 120 years.
Tyre makers often refer to the ‘race to road’ technology transfer when talking about motorsport engagements, but ‘race to loading bay’ is something that perhaps only Continental can claim bragging rights for. The tyre maker is using carbon black from recycled racing tyres in its production of solid tyres.
Wolfgang Reitzle, now aged 74, planned to step down as chairman of the Continental AG Supervisory Board when his current tenure concludes following the company’s 2024 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. However, German financial publication Wirtschaftswoche writes that Reitzle will once again stand for election to the Supervisory Board at next April’s meeting, albeit only for a two-year term of office.
Continental has won a new tyre supply deal for BMW’s latest 5 Series. The tyre manufacturer will supply the SportContact 7 for sporty driving, the energy efficient EcoContact 6 Q summer tyre, and the WinterContact TS 860 S winter tyre after its products were approved for the entire series, including the all-electric i5.
Instead of rectifying quality issues affecting hoses produced at the ContiTech plant in Korbach, Germany, someone allegedly chose to address the problem by systematically manipulating test results. Continental uncovered this potential fraud during an internal investigation, and authorities are now on the case.
Continental revealed its strategy for growth at its Capital Market Day yesterday. The company aims to enhance value creation by implementing cost reduction measures, with a goal of achieving an adjusted EBIT margin of 8-11% within 2-3 years and improving within this range thereafter. Continental also refined its sales targets and now aims for €44-48 billion in 2-3 years and €51-56 billion in 3-5 years.
The former Continental tyre factory in Kaluga, Russia is taking on the Gislaved name and will operate under the management of Cordiant Joint Stock Company. Of the three brands the previous owner produced within the Kaluga plant, Gislaved is the only one for which S8 Capital gained usage rights when acquiring Continental’s Russian assets.
Continental relaunched the Bandvulc retreading plant it acquired in 2016 as the ContiLifeCycle plant in March. Based on what Conti EMEA’s head of commercial consumer solutions Ralf Benack described as the existing “deep knowledge” of Bandvulc, the facility in Ivybridge, Devon has become a technical innovation hub for the company’s tyre retreading programme in the region. When Tyres & Accessories visited the plant later in the year, the manufacturer revealed the results of strong annual investments and its innovative implementation of automated processes for increased efficiency, and the key role that reatreading plays in Conti’s overall sustainability strategy.
After months of fine-tuning and integrating into development processes, Continental has begun operations with its new driving simulator for tyres and aims to use it in particular to assist original equipment tyre development. Tyrepress recently visited the simulator to find out more.
Continental Tyres and its retread brand Bandvulc are partnering with EcoDriven to support the environmental product promoter’s UK-wide Sustainability Showcase tour in 2024. The year-long programme championing sustainable solutions aims to the public to consider their environmental impact. The message will be delivered from a classic double-decker bus retrofitted with sustainable materials to demonstrate their effectiveness throughout its journey. Continental will supply its Bandvulc Citymaster 5 bus tyres and ContiPressureCheck TPMS system, both products that demonstrate its focus on sustainability. The tyre manufacturer and technology supplier wants to be ‘the most environmentally progressive tyre company’ with retreads, tyre maintenance and waste recycling all part of its strategy.
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Stephen Goodchild / Tyre Industry Publications Ltd
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