FRANKFURT, Germany — Continental AG right now debuted its greenest tire, because the German elements provider and tire maker seems to be to satisfy environmental targets set by its clients, governments and itself.
Continental’s UltraContact NXT tire is fabricated from as much as 65 % sustainable supplies, the very best proportion of any of its tire fashions in manufacturing. These supplies embody renewable and recycled supplies reminiscent of plastic bottles and silicate constituted of the ashes of rice husks, in accordance with the corporate.
The tire comes practically two years after Continental confirmed off a inexperienced idea tire that featured lots of the similar renewable sources because the manufacturing sequence UltraContact NXT. It indicators the corporate’s efforts to carry sustainable merchandise to the market, Continental CEO Nikolai Setzer mentioned.
“This tire exhibits we now have ideas, and we carry them into manufacturing with the most effective scores on the expertise aspect, as nicely,” Setzer mentioned throughout a information convention in Frankfurt.
The tire’s debut comes as Continental and different auto suppliers come beneath intense stress from automakers and governments to turn into greener. Many automakers have set aggressive targets to cut back their carbon footprints, targets that hinge largely on whether or not they can get their suppliers to chop again on emissions and use extra sustainable supplies.
“For OEMs to achieve their sustainability targets, they want extra sustainable tires transferring ahead,” Setzer mentioned.
By 2030, Continental plans to have its tires comprised of greater than 40 % recycled and renewable supplies, up from between 15 and 20 % right now, Setzer mentioned. By 2050, the corporate expects its tires to be made completely of inexperienced supplies.
The most recent tire will first be bought at European dealerships in July. Past that, Setzer mentioned the corporate is open to supplying automakers with the tire to be used on new autos.
“We’ve got not focused this but as a result of we wished to be quick to introduce it,” he mentioned. “However for certain, it might be an [original equipment] tire sooner or later. There’s nothing in opposition to that.”