Green Light for Generation 5: the new Conti hybrid tyre line for regional transport gets the ball rolling

The transport and logistics sector is experiencing an unprecedented boom. The changes in consumer behaviour and the rapid growth of online shopping have led to the transport sector becoming the largest branch of the goods handling business in Europe. Stable supply chains are more vital than ever.

Regional transport, above all, is gaining increasingly in importance and the vehicles involved in regional goods transport, in particular, have to demonstrate the ability to absorb significant punishment. Frequent braking and pulling away again, manoeuvres in tight situations and various load states on changing road surface conditions challenge all vehicle components day in, day out. And as a direct contact point between the vehicle and the road, the tyres play a fundamental role.

Continental developed the new Generation 5 Conti Hybrid tyre line to rise to the challenge of performing this demanding role on a daily basis along regional routes that also include highway/freeway sections. Getting the ball rolling for Generation 5 is the Conti Hybrid HS5 for the steer axle and the Conti Hybrid HD5 for the drive axle – in 22.5-inch format for combined use on regional roads and highways. The tyres meet the diverse requirements of heavy-duty fleet use, i.e. frequent acceleration, braking, manoeuvring and cornering on a variety of road surfaces.

The new premium tyres rise to the myriad challenges with an array of cutting-edge developments; innovative treads, rubber compounds and state-of-the-art casing constructions deliver superb performance thanks to excellent mileage, durability and traction combined with optimised rolling resistance. This makes the new Conti Hybrid a reliable partner throughout its service life. The new Conti Hybrid Generation 5 tyre line stands out with a mileage up to 20 percent higher than that of the predecessor generation – depending on the tyre size involved. This new tyre line offers fleet operators exceptional overall performance throughout the tyres’ service life, as they have been developed specially to meet the demands of regional transport.

Hinnerk Kaiser, Head of Product Development Bus and Truck Tyres at Continental says:

“With the high mileage on offer and premium retread solution, the long service life of the tyres helps to achieve a high level of fleet efficiency and therefore ensure sustainable fleet management.”

The rubber compounds used by the Conti Hybrid Generation 5 tyre line have been further developed specially to meet the exacting demands of regional transport. The treads, with their two-layer construction (cap base) and innovative compounds, enable a high mileage and considerable robustness while also optimizing rolling resistance in regional transport use. This also has a positive impact on fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions.

Both the Conti Hybrid HS5 for the steer axle and the Conti Hybrid HD5 for the drive axle offer top-class performance in all weather conditions and even with residual tread depths towards the end of the tyre life. A robust tread with new, full-width 3D matrix sipes takes the credit here. The 0? belt casing on the Conti Hybrid HS5 in 315/70 R22.5 format brings additional stability, a uniform wear pattern and optimal retreadability to the steer axle.

A long steel belt cord runs over the radial casing in the direction of travel. This construction optimizes pressure distribution in the contact surface, especially under varying load conditions. And it also reduces the stress on the belt edges, which increases the service life of the tyre and retreadability.

The newly developed tread structure of the Conti Hybrid HD5 protects the tread and casing very effectively against stone damage at the drive axle. Centre grooves with increasing cavities in the second half of the tyre’s service life and special stone ejectors prevent stones becoming embedded in the tyre. The new Conti Hybrid tyres will be available in numerous sizes, starting with the following options: Conti Hybrid HS5 315/70 R 22.5, Conti Hybrid HS5 385/55 R 22, and Conti Hybrid HD5 315/70 R 22.5.

All tyres are also available from the factory as intelligent tyres and can be connected to digital solutions such as the ContiConnect digital tyre management system with the pre-installed tyre sensor.