“This tire shows we have concepts, and we bring them into production with the best ratings on the technology side as well,” Setzer stated right through a information convention right here in Frankfurt.
The tire’s debut comes as Continental and alternative providers come below intense force from automakers and governments to leave carbon emissions in their merchandise and manufacturing. Many automakers have eager competitive goals to leave their carbon footprints that hinge in immense section on whether or not they may be able to get their providers to decrease to emissions and virtue extra sustainable fabrics.
“For OEMs to reach their sustainability targets, they need more sustainable tires,” Setzer stated.
By way of 2030, Continental plans on having its tires made up of greater than 40 p.c recycled and renewable fabrics, up from between 15 and 20 p.c nowadays, Setzer stated. By way of 2050, the corporate expects its tires to be made completely of inexperienced fabrics.
The transition to greener tires parallels strikes Continental has made in alternative portions of its world companies to assemble merchandise extra sustainable.
For instance, the corporate has advanced a form of floor fabrics for door and tool panels referred to as Xpreshn that may be produced the use of renewable fabrics. It additionally has created a man-made leather-based made with recycled fabrics, with strings impaired to build it constituted of recycled plastic bottles.
The UltraContact NXT tire will first be offered at Ecu dealerships this time. Past that, Setzer stated the corporate is seen to supplying automakers with the tire for virtue on pristine cars.
“We have not targeted this yet because we wanted to be fast to introduce it,” he stated. “But for sure, it could be an OE tire at some point. There’s nothing against that.”
Unknown but is whether or not sustainability will turn into a big precedence for customers when making an allowance for tire purchases, he stated.
“Whether the consumer distinguishes between sustainability, between safety, between all the other subjects, that remain to be seen,” Setzer stated. “This is up to the consumer.”
Regardless, the corporate extra all-in on going inexperienced.
Continental ranks Refuse. 9 at the Automobile Information listing of the govern world providers, with international gross sales to automakers of $25.4 billion in 2022.
