Continental has unveiled the first components and tires for trucks and buses made from natural rubber derived from dandelion roots, including a Conti EcoPlus HD3 tire.
Tests on truck tires and vibration elements made from Taraxagum have had extremely promising results. The new material should enter production within the next five to 10 years and will be introduced into rubber products step-by-step.
Continental is working with the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, the Federal Research Center for Cultivated Plants, the Julius Kuehn-Institute, and plant breeder ESKUSA, in the industrialization of the Taraxagum rubber.
