“Our customers attach particular importance to tyres with low rolling resistance for greater range and quiet rolling noise for high driving comfort,” says Manja Greimeier, Head of Original Equipment at Continental Tires.
In 2023 Continental supplied tyres to all ten of the world’s highest-volume manufacturers of fully electric vehicles for the first time. In the previous year, that figure stood at nine out of ten. In the Asia-Pacific region (APAC), the premium tyre manufacturer is supplying the top five highest-volume manufacturers of electric vehicles with original equipment tyres for the first time. In Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) as well as in the North, South and Central America (The Americas) regions, the company was able to defend its strong position: the five highest-volume manufacturers continue to trust in Continental tyres.
Key to success: low rolling resistance, quiet rolling noise
“Our customers attach particular importance to tyres with low rolling resistance for more range and quiet rolling noise for high driving comfort. We meet these requirements with our high-performing tyres for all types of electric vehicles. The trust that manufacturers of e-vehicles worldwide have in Continental tyres is a nice confirmation of this,” said Manja Greimeier, who heads the Original Equipment business for Continental’s Tires group sector. The established and new e-vehicle manufacturers that Continental supplies include Tesla, BYD, Volkswagen, BMW and Geely.
Continuously ensuring more efficiency and less consumption
From a very early-stage Continental started to work specifically on optimizing its tyres for greater efficiency and lower consumption. In 1993 the tyre manufacturer presented the ContiEcoContact – the first tyre line designed specifically for energy efficiency. Since then, all tyre developments have focused on low rolling resistance, low rolling noise and high mileage without compromising or limiting safety. In its tyre development, Continental also considers the higher weight of electric vehicles that results from the weight of the battery. Therefore, the company has also been producing passenger car tyres with the special HL load index since 2021. These tyres have an increased load capacity.
All vehicles benefit from Continental’s technological advances, regardless of their type of drive. The premium tyre manufacturer has optimized all current lines in the whole tyre portfolio for all types of drive. Since 2023 the EV Compatible logo on the tyre wall clarifies which tyre models are designed for use on electric vehicles and to optimize their range. Because of this, Continental tyres are always the right choice – regardless of whether it is a combustion engine or an electric vehicle.
Tin Fox
South Africa is the winner of the National Outsourcing Association’s (NOA’s) Offshoring Destination of the Year Award 2012