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.”
The 29-person international jury presiding over this year’s Vehicle Dynamics Innovation Awards have named Continental’s new weather-independent AIBA tyre testing facility winner of the awards’ “Development Tool of the Year” category.
Continental AG has been named as the 2013 Automotive News PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence) Award for its tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) with patented LocSync software.
The tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) from Continental is designed to provide the driver with the current inflation pressures individual tyres. If a particular tyre’s pressure is too low, the instrument alerts the driver. According to the company, the new tyres and sensors are detected automatically without the need for any additional electronic equipment by using the LocSync software to combine the data from the wheel speed sensors and tyre sensors.
Leading UK food waste recycling and animal by-product transporter, John Pointon & Sons has put into place a structured tyre management process. The firm will work closely with Staffordshire tyre supplier, Potteries Tyres of Stoke-on-Trent and Continental Tyres to minimise tyre costs and unplanned downtime, while ensuring the tyres meet the varied demands and working conditions of Pointon’s fleet of 68 trucks and 216 trailers.
Eagle-eyed Geneva motor show attendees may has spotted a 22-inch version of Vredestein’s new Ultrac Vorti fitted to the Bentley Continental GT-based Mansory Sanguis. This pairing, Vredestein states, doubled as an announcement of a new partnership between Mansory and the tyre maker.
Pirelli describes its new Angel GT sport touring tyre as being “100 per cent Italian Gran Turismo.” Compared with its predecessor it is said to not only offer improved grip and wet performance – as recently demonstrated on the deck of an Italian aircraft carrier – but also to give significantly higher mileage than the Angel ST. During last autumn’s unveiling of Ducati’s Multistrada 1200 S Granturismo, which has the Angel GT as an original equipment fitment, the Italian tyre maker reported a 15 per cent increase in mileage – now, in spring, this figure has doubled to 30 per cent. The editors at Neue ReifenZeitung, Tyres & Accessories’ German affiliate, asked Pirelli to explain why the reported improvement in mileage is suddenly much higher.
Continental’s underground mining products are engineered at the company’s Research and Development Center in Hanover, Germany and production is based in Port Elizabeth, South Africa – close to many customers’ gold, copper, and platinum mines. Two key products in this segment are the General Tire brand Power Slick and Semi Slick, and the tyre maker is displaying both of these at the Bauma 2013 show.
Parking assistance technology is a nice feature to have in your hatchback, but electronic parking aids really come into their own when fitted to larger vehicles. Continental has developed a camera-based all-round system for some of the largest vehicles available, and the company is presenting it at this week’s Bauma 2013 show. Called ProViu 360, the system is designed with construction and other large commercial vehicles in mind and is intended to offer risk free manoeuvring and the elimination of the driver’s blind spot. Continental claims that in addition to increasing safety for both the driver and other road/site users, the reduction in time taken to position a vehicle and a minimised risk of vehicle damage can lead to lower operating costs.
Big appears to be beautiful when it comes to ultra high performance tyres. Continental shares that falling European demand for 18-inch rim diameter and lower UHP tyres over the last couple of years has been compensated for by growing demand in the larger sizes.
In an interview with German Euro am Sonntag news source, Continental AG CFO Wolfgang Schaefer said he expected the company to report first quarter results "slightly worse" than anticipated. In March, the company said it estimates first-quarter sales to decline by between 1 and 3 per cent on the year, with roughly flat margin. However, during the interview Schaefer admitted missing the 1 to 3 per cent mark.
On 10 April the head of Continental’s Tire division, Nikolai Setzer, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning Continental’s consumer tyre factory in Púchov. The signing of the MoU at Continental’s headquarters in Hannover, Germany paves the way for an expansion project that will see passenger and light truck tyre capacity in Púchov rising by more than 5 million pieces a year.
During the course of 2012, Continental expanded its retail network in China by some two-thirds, and this year it looks to grow by a further 40 per cent. Beijing-based publication China Daily reports Jay Dhillon, general manager of Continental Tires China, as calling 2012 the company’s “most successful year” in terms of its retail operation. He shared that 1,000 new authorised franchised shops were added to Continental’s network, giving it a total of 2,500.
In addition to announcing a 30 per cent rise in sales last year, Blackcircles.com appears set to expand across the Channel in the near future. Company founder and managing director Mike Welch states the online retailer aims to grow market share both in the UK and internationally and claims that Blackcircles.com is now in talks with parties in Central Europe; if all goes to plan, an announcement regarding a partnership or acquisition will be made before the end of this year.
The classic motorcycle market is growing and interest in bikes from the 1980s is strong, and therefore Continental considers now an opportune time to reintroduce two former patterns, the TKV11 front and TKV12 rear sports tyres. The pair are suited for mounting on classic 1970s and 1980s bikes and fit machines as diverse as Yamaha XJ600’s and FJ1100, Kawasaki’s GPZ600R and GPZ1000RX, Suzuki’s GSX1100E and 1100 Katana, BMW’s K75 and K100, Honda’s XBR500 and Ducati’s Pantah range.
Kick off at the opening match of the next World Cup is just over 14 months away, and Germany’s Continental AG is once again a sponsor of the FIFA-organised event. As part of its World Cup involvement, Continental has committed itself to the UERE education project in the Favelas, or the Baixa do Sapateiro slum district of Rio de Janeiro. The UERE project targets children and youths aged between 4 and 18, and over a three-year period Continental will use the media attention the football world’s premier event will give Brazil to raise the profile of UERE and what the project has achieved.
A day after our coverage of European rules relating to the introduction of ABS on two-wheel vehicles. Continental AG has released details of its one channel ABS for motorcycles.
According to ADAC Accident Research, around a fifth of all motorcycle accidents could have been prevented if the bike had been fitted with an anti-lock braking system (ABS). To improve the active safety of motorcycles, Continental is expanding its range of electronic braking systems by introducing an one-channel ABS for smaller motorcycle and scooters. Based on its cars technology it was developed especially for cost-sensitive markets such as Asia, where the wheelers must be equipped only with a hydraulic brake on the front wheel.
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