Small changes to tyre material make a big difference

The tyre is the only point of contact between a vehicle and the road, and has a significant impact on overall driving performance. Tyre materials are influenced by various trends, ranging from safety to fuel economy, CO2 emissions and sustainability. For global suppliers such as Continental, innovation in these areas is critical as regulations loom and road deaths continue to rise.

Andreas Topp, Vice President of Material & Process Development & Industrialization at Continental’s Tires division, steers the innovation of both passenger and commercial vehicle tyres, from the handling of raw materials and processing of rubber, right up to the production of the final product.