March 20, 2020 |
Survey Respondents want priority given to Tyre Fuel Efficiency
- Continental and forsa conducted a survey on “The Tyre of the Future”
- Respondents said that tyre developers should give priority to saving fuel
- Consumers rated the price/performance ratio more important than sustainable production
Technological trends like the e-scooter, social phenomena like ‘flight shame’, and long-term topics such as alternative drive systems and automated or autonomous driving illustrate how all aspects of mobility are constantly evolving. This prompted technology company Continental to join with the market research institute, forsa, to conduct a survey of what drivers expected from car tyres in the future, above and beyond maximum safety.
More than 1,000 drivers across Germany took part in the representative survey in November 2019.
The results showed that for just over 40 percent of respondents, believed that the most important feature, in the future, was that tyres should do even more to save fuel. The second most important feature was resistance to punctures.
As the survey revealed, answers differed from one age group to the next. For 18 to 29-year-olds, for example, puncture resistance was the most important consideration. The desire for an energy-efficient tyre was strongest among 45 to 59-year-olds, while sustainability in respect of material and production was the top priority for 30 to 44-year-olds.
There were no surprises when the Continental survey looked at future tyre prices: 92 percent of respondents rated the price/performance ratio as important or very important. At the same time, 75 percent of drivers said that lower rolling resistance and the accompanying drop in fuel consumption was important or very important to them. Tyres optimised for rolling resistance and mileage can definitely have a positive impact on the total running costs of a car.
“That’s why consumers should always pay attention to the EU Tyre Label,” explained Continental tyre development engineer Andreas Schlenke. “An ‘A’ rating for rolling resistance tells you that the tyre rolls very energy efficiently. And if it is also rated ‘A’ for wet braking, you can be sure you’re buying a very safe and sustainable tyre.”
“The social debate over the mobility of the future will definitely influence the future of the car tyre,” Schlenke continued.
“Our products will play an even greater part in delivering safety, as well as boosting energy efficiency, puncture resistance and sustainability. It’s worth pointing out, though, that we already offer products that meet these demands of the tyre of the future. For example, our current EcoContact tyre generates 20 percent less rolling resistance than its predecessor and delivers 12 percent more mileage. Our Taraxagum technology shows that dandelion rubber offers an alternative to rubber sourced from the tropics. For electric cars we have developed special technologies that ensure very low rolling resistance while delivering strong performance in terms of the safety-relevant criteria. For greater puncture resistance, our ContiSeal technology seals a tread puncture immediately. And before long, our tyres will be able to tell for themselves when the tread is worn. In the future they will likely also monitor and adjust tyre pressures without having to interrupt the journey.”
Source: Continental
