Automotive manufacturer Continental has launched its latest haulage tire range, the EcoRegional, which the company claims has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of hauliers’ vehicles in regional transportation applications.
According the Continental, high efficiency is achieved thanks to a new manufacturing process in combination with a new tread design for the steering axle coupled with a rubber compound optimized for rolling resistance for the drive axle. Apparently, the efficiency gains do not come at the cost of other favorable attributes such mileage, robustness and traction.
The Eco Reginal HS3 steer tire is manufactured using the company’s Diamond Technique production process, and features an optimized tread surface pattern in the ground contact area with a modified tread groove geometry, reduced sipe width, and W-tread groove technology to provide even abrasion.
Together with a stable configuration of the circumferential longitudinal tread grooves, this enables greater mileage while also reducing fuel consumption, Continental says. Furthermore, the use of sipes in the tread ribs provides additional grip edges that are important for the traction characteristics.
The EcoRegional HD3 drive tire meanwhile runs with the established tread concept of the Continental Hybrid Gen 3 line but uses a new tread compound in the form of the company’s InterLock Technology. This is claimed to provide low rolling resistance without compromising mileage performance.
Continental notes that the design of the tread with a ‘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.
