Reduced fuel consumption and improved mileage are the special strengths of Continental’s new truck tire line, the company has said. The Conti EcoRegional HS3 and HD3 are ideal solutions for reducing CO2 emissions thanks to a new manufacturing process, an innovative tread design for the steering axle and a rubber compound that is optimized for rolling resistance for the drive axle.
Continental said that its developers have been particularly successful in balancing the trade-off between mileage on the one hand and rolling resistance and fuel efficiency on the other. This is achieved with the help of a new tread production process, with an optimized tread surface pattern in the ground contact area, coupled with a modified tread groove geometry, reduced sipe width, and W-tread groove technology for even abrasion. Together with a highly stable configuration of the circumferential longitudinal tread grooves, this enables greater mileage while also reducing fuel consumption.
Furthermore, Continental said the use of sipes in the tread ribs provides additional grip edges that are important for the traction characteristics. The design of the tread with ‘cap’ (responsible for adhesion, abrasion resistance, and directional stability) and ‘base’ (rolling resistance and damping) allows the individual zones to be optimized for specific tasks, thereby helping to resolve the trade-off.
In both products, base compounds optimized for rolling resistance are used. In addition, rubber compounds optimized for rolling resistance are used in the casing.
