Global Testing Infrastructure Driving Tyre Innovation
Continental is pushing the boundaries of tyre development with extensive winter tyre tests in Sweden, where extreme conditions provide critical insights into performance on snow and ice. The company conducts year-round testingacross its global network of tracks, ensuring commercial vehicle tyres meet the toughest demands before external evaluations.
The largest European test site, the Contidrom, is located in Jeversen, near Hanover, with additional testing facilities in the USA and Scandinavia. In Arvidsjaur, Sweden, Continental engineers focus on winter-specific performance factors, including snow traction, ice handling, and rut sensitivity.
Joachim Blass, a Continental test engineer with two decades of international experience, highlights the importance of variable test conditions in Sweden:
“Depending on the weather, we have different test conditions here every day,” he explains. These findings are directly applied to the continuous development and optimisation of tyre technology.
Sustainable Development Through Advanced Testing
The demands on commercial vehicle tyres are evolving, driven by factors such as cost pressures, stringent CO2 regulations, and the rise of electric vehicles. Tyre performance requirements also vary across global markets, adding complexity to development.
Blass emphasises that rolling resistance and noise emissions have become key focus areas, especially with the shift to electromobility.
“Overall, criteria such as low rolling resistance and the lowest possible noise emissions have become considerably more important in recent years,” he says. “This will continue as a result of the growing use of electromobility.”
By conducting outdoor tyre tests in Sweden, Continental evaluates real-world performance under extreme conditions, factoring in variables like temperature, precipitation, wind, and humidity.
Optimising Tyre Performance for EVs and Fleets
Continental’s rigorous testing process involves evaluating new compounds, tread designs, and tyre configurations. The company is currently collaborating with industry partners to assess how tyre design can be optimised for electric trailers, ensuring maximum efficiency and durability.
“We see the test tracks as a campus where we try out new things in order to understand how the tyres react in combination with vehicles during driving manoeuvres, even at the limits,” explains Blass.
Precision Testing with Human Expertise
For commercial vehicle tyres, Continental’s testing focuses on rolling resistance, mileage, noise, traction, braking, and cornering stability. In Sweden, particular attention is paid to braking behaviour, traction, and stability in winter conditions.
Both subjective assessments and objective measurements contribute to the evaluation process. Advanced technology records precise braking and traction data, but human test drivers remain central to real-world assessments.
“In the subjective assessment, I am the sensor. I experience the reaction of the vehicle and give my assessment,” Blass says.
Enhancing Safety and Efficiency for Fleet Operators
Commercial tyres face stricter demands than passenger tyres, requiring additional tests such as the traction test, where vehicles must start safely on icy or snow-covered ramps. Engineers also evaluate performance under extreme conditions, including sudden grip loss and lane-changing manoeuvres on black ice.
“We try to simulate exactly the situations that are relevant for the customer in everyday life,” says Blass.
With high load-bearing requirements, optimised rolling resistance, and extended mileage, Continental’s winter tyre tests play a critical role in developing safer, more efficient solutions for fleets.
By leveraging its global testing infrastructure, Continental continues to refine its future-proof tyre technology, adapting to the changing demands of commercial transport.
“By understanding the individual tyre requirements of our customers around the globe, we can develop the right tyre products for them and offer future-proof tyre solutions,” Blass concludes.
More Information:
Continental – www.continental.com
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