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GreenConcept Tire Claims to Be 40 Percent Lighter and Made of Rubber From Dandelions

It’s been a busy period for Continental which is now presenting the fruits of its labor at this IAA Mobility event in Munich. The company celebrates the world premiere of a new tire concept engineered for the sensor-equipped, smart vehicles of the future.
Continental Conti GreenConcept tire 6 photos
Photo: Continental
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In addition to announcing its AMBIENC3 car concept with the vehicle interior of the future, also in a world premiere at this year's IAA, Continental introduces a new tire concept. The Conti GreenConcept tire concept is part of the company’s long-term plan to fully transition to sustainable, raw materials by 2050. With that in mind, the German automotive parts manufacturer developed a tire made of more than 50 percent renewable or recycled materials.

Over 35 percent of the materials used are renewable, consisting of natural rubber from dandelions, vegetable oils, and resins, as well as silicate from the ash of rice husks.

The GreenConcept tire also uses 17 percent recycled materials. Part of the company’s plans is to start using its ContiRe.Tex technology starting next year, manufacturing tires using polyester from recycled PET bottles, which they claim to be an industry-first. In addition to recycled plastic bottles, the Conti GreenConcept also makes use of reclaimed steel and recovered carbon black.

Sustainability is just one of the qualities boasted by Continental regarding the GreenConcept. But there’s another selling point to the new tire and that’s the fact that it is up to 40 percent lighter than conventional tires, according to the manufacturer. The tire weighs 16.5 lb (7.5 kg). Continental explains that it used an optimized tread pattern to reduce the tire’s weight, as well as a special casing design and sidewall.

Thanks to its design, the GreenConcept should lead to a reduction in resource consumption as well as a more sustainable driving.

Continental’s Conti GreenConcept tire is designed to be used in smart vehicles that are equipped with sensors and resource-saving drives. These sensors would monitor the surroundings and help us drive in an anticipatory manner, making the lightweight tires feasible for use. The company also plans to equip the tires with a sensor that continuously monitors the temperature, pressure, and tread depth, making predictive driving possible.

There’s yet no information on when we can expect the Conti GreenConcept tire to hit the streets or how much it will cost.
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About the author: Cristina Mircea
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Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars.
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