LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Continental Tire is unveiling three new tires at the Mid-America Trucking Show in response to changing transportation trends, including more urban transport, increased world trade and expected infrastructure construction from government programs, the company’s top U.S. tire executive said.
The hybrid HS3 steer tire has been developed for fleets that operate in developing urban markets and intercity service, said Paul Williams, executive vice president for U.S. truck tires. He spoke to reporters here at the start of MATS.
Another trend Williams identified was more attention to environmental issues, which is being addressed by the introduction of the EcoPlus HS3 steer tire. He predicted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would toughen rolling-resistance limits as well.
For the construction market, the company is previewing the TerraPlus HD3, with plans to introduce new winter and hybrid tires for the 19.5-inch market in the future, Williams said.
“Continental engineers are already testing tire sensors that can eventually contribute to vehicle-to-vehicle [V2V] communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure [V2X] by sensing the vehicle’s load,” Williams said.
The company also is working on steps such as manufacturing rubber for tires from dandelions, he added.
On the service side, the Germany company created a national account service manager network for large fleets and added enhancements such as mechanical service for emergency breakdowns.
