Almost all car brands are on the road to sustainable mobility, emissions-free motoring, and the likes. Even tyre companies, such as Continental, have also committed to becoming the most progressive tyre company by 2030 in terms of ecological and social responsibility.
To serve this goal, Continental introduced its Conti GreenConcept at the Munich Motor Show, amid the bevy of electric vehicles showcased at the relocated Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA). The German tyre company also supplied sustainable tyres for the VW ID. LIFE concept city car.
Gallery: Continental Conti GreenConcept Revealed At Munich
The Conti GreenConcept, however, isn't limited to just presenting a new tyre alone. The concept embodies the goal to minimise resource consumption across every link in the tyre's value chain. That said, the tyre concept is sustainable down to the very core, including sourcing and procurement of raw materials, even up to the ways to extend the tyre's service life.
According to Continental, more than half of the raw materials used are either recycled or from renewable sources. A good 35 percent of the Conti GreenConcept also uses renewable materials. Among the bio-materials used are natural rubber from dandelions, silicate from the ash of rice husks, and vegetable oils and resins – all leading to a significant reduction in materials based on crude oil.
IAA at Munich:
The Conti GreenConcept also uses 17 percent recycled materials, including reclaimed steel and recovered carbon black, as well as polyester from recycled plastic bottles for the tyre's casing. Called the ContiRe.Tex technology, the company will be gradually rolling this out by 2022.
Lastly, the rubber used for the Conti GreenConcept tread compound is 100 percent Taraxagum natural rubber, which allows multiple retreading. The green-coloured tread baseline marks the transition from tread to casing. Undamaged casings can be reused several times.
Source: Continental