The UltraContact NXT from Continental is the most
sustainable series tire to date.
- Continental sets new standards in the use of sustainable materials in series tires
- Pioneer in implementation: in some cases, it takes just one year to go from concept to
series production - Tire manufacturer is already using silica from rice husk ash, carbon black from end-of-
life tires and polyester from recycled PET in series tires
Hanover, Germany, January 23, 2024. At leading international trade fairs such as IAA Mobility,
Continental presents innovative technologies that set new standards. One topic of focus is
sustainability. As early as 2021, the tire manufacturer focused on the use of silica from agricultural
waste, polyester from recycled PET and other renewable and recyclable materials with the Conti
GreenConcept concept tire. Continental has now incorporated many of these technologies into its
series tires. With the UltraContact NXT, the company launched the most sustainable series tire to
date last year. This underlines Continental’s claim to be the most progressive manufacturer in the tire industry when it comes to sustainability.
Conti GreenConcept: Concept tires from 2021 with
more than 50 percent sustainable materials.
“Sustainable innovations belong on the road and not in a showroom. We ensure that innovations
and concept tires are made available to our customers and go into production as quickly as
possible, without any compromises in terms of safety and performance. We were the first to
integrate pioneering technologies such as recycled PET into series tires. And we were also the first
tire manufacturer to launch a model with a particularly high share of renewable and recycled
materials. We walk our talk when it comes to making our world more sustainable,” says Jorge
Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires.
Particularly high energy efficiency in city traffic: Conti
CityPlus.
Polyester from PET bottles: From the presentation to series production in just one year
PET bottles often end up in waste incineration plants or landfills. By using the ContiRe.Tex
technology, Continental and its partners have succeeded in producing high-quality polyester yarn
for tires from recycled PET bottles. Depending on the tire size, between nine and fifteen PET
bottles can be reused per tire. The PET bottles used come exclusively from regions without a
closed recycling loop.
The premium tire manufacturer brought the Conti-Re.Tex technology to production readiness in
less than a year. This is remarkable, because in addition to the conversion of corresponding
production processes in the tire plants, the use of new raw materials is always a complex
balancing act for the engineers and material experts at Continental. After all, only when all the materials are perfectly coordinated with each other can customers benefit from safe, energy-
efficient and durable high-performance tires. Series tires with Conti-Re.Tex technology have been
available from specialist tire dealers in Europe since April 2022.
High-quality polyester yarn is obtained from recycled
plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in
incinerators or landfill sites.
Series tires with up to 65 percent sustainable materials
The Conti-Re.Tex technology is also part of the most sustainable passenger car series tire on the
market to date. With the UltraContact NXT, Continental offers a tire with a particularly high
proportion of sustainable materials. Many of the technologies contained in the tire were part of the
Conti GreenConcept concept tire, which was presented to the public for the first time at IAA
Mobility 2021. These included silica made from rice husk ash or recycled PET bottles. Production
of the UltraContact NXT started in July 2023 in Lousado, Portugal. With up to 65 percent
renewable, recycled and mass-balance-certified materials, the series tire combines a high
proportion of sustainable materials with maximum safety and performance. All 19 tire sizes
received the top EU tire label rating (“A”) in rolling resistance, braking in wet conditions and exterior
noise. By 2030, Continental is aiming to use over 40 percent renewable and recycled materials in
its tires. The UltraContact NXT is an important step for the tire manufacturer on the way to
achieving its ambitious sustainability goals.
Recycled rubber, rice husks and plastic bottles:
sustainable materials in tire production.
Innovations along the entire value chain
Thanks to the balanced interplay of efficient and sustainable technologies and materials,
Continental products are particularly efficient when driving. The Conti CityPlus technology
presented at this year’s IAA Mobility, for example, increases the overall energy efficiency of a car
tire by up to 10 percent. This means lower CO2 emissions for cars with combustion engines and
greater range for electric vehicles. This is achieved by optimizing tire behavior in inner-city stop-
and-go traffic, which can increase the range of passenger cars by up to three percent. For electric
vehicles, this corresponds to a saving of around 0.6 kWh per 100 kilometers. Continental’s latest
technology could also be used in production in the near future. The premium manufacturer is in
contact with several original equipment customers who have expressed interest.
Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental
Tires.
Systematically moving toward greater sustainability
Continental is continuously working to advance innovative technologies and sustainable products
and services along the entire value chain, from the procurement of sustainable materials to the
recycling of end-of-life tires. By 2030, the premium tire manufacturer is aiming to use more than 40
percent renewable and recycled materials in its tires. Continental aims to achieve a proportion of
100 percent sustainable materials in its tires by 2050 at the latest.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of
people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and
affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2022, Continental generated sales
of €39.4 billion and currently employs around 200,000 people in 57 countries and currently employs around 200,000 people in 57 countries and markets.
Tire solutions from the Tires group sector make mobility safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Its premium
portfolio encompasses car, truck, bus, two-wheel, and specialty tires as well as smart solutions and services
for fleets and tire retailers. Continental delivers top performance for more than 150 years and is one of the
world’s largest tire manufacturers. In fiscal 2022, the Tires group sector generated sales of 14 billion euros.
Continental’s tire division employs 57,000 people worldwide and has 20 production and 16 development
sites.
The UltraContact NXT from Continental is the most
sustainable series tire to date.
- Continental sets new standards in the use of sustainable materials in series tires
- Pioneer in implementation: in some cases, it takes just one year to go from concept to
series production - Tire manufacturer is already using silica from rice husk ash, carbon black from end-of-
life tires and polyester from recycled PET in series tires
Hanover, Germany, January 23, 2024. At leading international trade fairs such as IAA Mobility,
Continental presents innovative technologies that set new standards. One topic of focus is
sustainability. As early as 2021, the tire manufacturer focused on the use of silica from agricultural
waste, polyester from recycled PET and other renewable and recyclable materials with the Conti
GreenConcept concept tire. Continental has now incorporated many of these technologies into its
series tires. With the UltraContact NXT, the company launched the most sustainable series tire to
date last year. This underlines Continental’s claim to be the most progressive manufacturer in the tire industry when it comes to sustainability.
Conti GreenConcept: Concept tires from 2021 with
more than 50 percent sustainable materials.
"Sustainable innovations belong on the road and not in a showroom. We ensure that innovations
and concept tires are made available to our customers and go into production as quickly as
possible, without any compromises in terms of safety and performance. We were the first to
integrate pioneering technologies such as recycled PET into series tires. And we were also the first
tire manufacturer to launch a model with a particularly high share of renewable and recycled
materials. We walk our talk when it comes to making our world more sustainable," says Jorge
Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental Tires.
Particularly high energy efficiency in city traffic: Conti
CityPlus.
Polyester from PET bottles: From the presentation to series production in just one year
PET bottles often end up in waste incineration plants or landfills. By using the ContiRe.Tex
technology, Continental and its partners have succeeded in producing high-quality polyester yarn
for tires from recycled PET bottles. Depending on the tire size, between nine and fifteen PET
bottles can be reused per tire. The PET bottles used come exclusively from regions without a
closed recycling loop.
The premium tire manufacturer brought the Conti-Re.Tex technology to production readiness in
less than a year. This is remarkable, because in addition to the conversion of corresponding
production processes in the tire plants, the use of new raw materials is always a complex
balancing act for the engineers and material experts at Continental. After all, only when all the materials are perfectly coordinated with each other can customers benefit from safe, energy-
efficient and durable high-performance tires. Series tires with Conti-Re.Tex technology have been
available from specialist tire dealers in Europe since April 2022.
High-quality polyester yarn is obtained from recycled
plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in
incinerators or landfill sites.
Series tires with up to 65 percent sustainable materials
The Conti-Re.Tex technology is also part of the most sustainable passenger car series tire on the
market to date. With the UltraContact NXT, Continental offers a tire with a particularly high
proportion of sustainable materials. Many of the technologies contained in the tire were part of the
Conti GreenConcept concept tire, which was presented to the public for the first time at IAA
Mobility 2021. These included silica made from rice husk ash or recycled PET bottles. Production
of the UltraContact NXT started in July 2023 in Lousado, Portugal. With up to 65 percent
renewable, recycled and mass-balance-certified materials, the series tire combines a high
proportion of sustainable materials with maximum safety and performance. All 19 tire sizes
received the top EU tire label rating (“A”) in rolling resistance, braking in wet conditions and exterior
noise. By 2030, Continental is aiming to use over 40 percent renewable and recycled materials in
its tires. The UltraContact NXT is an important step for the tire manufacturer on the way to
achieving its ambitious sustainability goals.
Recycled rubber, rice husks and plastic bottles:
sustainable materials in tire production.
Innovations along the entire value chain
Thanks to the balanced interplay of efficient and sustainable technologies and materials,
Continental products are particularly efficient when driving. The Conti CityPlus technology
presented at this year’s IAA Mobility, for example, increases the overall energy efficiency of a car
tire by up to 10 percent. This means lower CO2 emissions for cars with combustion engines and
greater range for electric vehicles. This is achieved by optimizing tire behavior in inner-city stop-
and-go traffic, which can increase the range of passenger cars by up to three percent. For electric
vehicles, this corresponds to a saving of around 0.6 kWh per 100 kilometers. Continental’s latest
technology could also be used in production in the near future. The premium manufacturer is in
contact with several original equipment customers who have expressed interest.
Jorge Almeida, Head of Sustainability at Continental
Tires.
Systematically moving toward greater sustainability
Continental is continuously working to advance innovative technologies and sustainable products
and services along the entire value chain, from the procurement of sustainable materials to the
recycling of end-of-life tires. By 2030, the premium tire manufacturer is aiming to use more than 40
percent renewable and recycled materials in its tires. Continental aims to achieve a proportion of
100 percent sustainable materials in its tires by 2050 at the latest.
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of
people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and
affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2022, Continental generated sales
of €39.4 billion and currently employs around 200,000 people in 57 countries and currently employs around 200,000 people in 57 countries and markets.
Tire solutions from the Tires group sector make mobility safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Its premium
portfolio encompasses car, truck, bus, two-wheel, and specialty tires as well as smart solutions and services
for fleets and tire retailers. Continental delivers top performance for more than 150 years and is one of the
world’s largest tire manufacturers. In fiscal 2022, the Tires group sector generated sales of 14 billion euros.
Continental's tire division employs 57,000 people worldwide and has 20 production and 16 development
sites.
