Continental, has begun mass production of the UltraContact NXT - its most sustainable tyre offering to date.
Crafted at the Lousado plant in Portugal, these trailblazing summer tyres are built with up to 65% renewable, recycled, and mass balance certified materials, and still manage to ensure optimum safety and top-tier performance. The tyre series sets new benchmarks with its best EU tyre label ratings in rolling resistance, wet braking, and exterior noise.
Astonishingly, renewable materials constitute up to 32% of the UltraContact NXT. These are derived from byproducts of the paper, wood, and agricultural sectors. Rice husks, for instance, an otherwise discarded waste product, are processed into silica through an innovative and energy-efficient procedure, replacing traditional tyre components.
Natural rubber remains a vital material in the UltraContact NXT. Its remarkable strength and durability make it indispensable for maintaining top tyre performance properties.
The "contains recycled materials" logo adorning the UltraContact NXT's sidewall underscores the product's green credentials. The share of recycled material reaches up to 5%, including recycled rubber obtained from mechanically processed end-of-life tyres and recycled steel. The incorporation of the cutting-edge Contyre.Tex technology further boosts the tyre's eco-friendly standing. It transforms recycled PET bottles into high-performance polyester fibers used to reinforce the tyre carcass, recycling between nine and fifteen plastic bottles per tyre, depending on its size.
Continental has chosen to use up to 28% ISCC PLUS mass balance certified materials in the production of the UltraContact NXT. This includes sustainable synthetic rubber and carbon black made from biobased, bio-circular and/or circular feedstock. The ISCC PLUS certification mechanism ensures transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain, making a verified pledge of sustainability.
Committed to sustainable innovation, Continental targets to have over 40% renewable and recycled content in its tyres by 2030, aiming for a future of 100% sustainable materials in all tyre products by 2050. The UltraContact NXT stands as a significant milestone on this journey, setting Continental on the path to become the most progressive tyre manufacturer in alignment with its Vision 2030 strategy program.
Part of the successful UltraContact family launched in 2022, the UltraContact NXT is poised for gradual introduction in Europe, with the first sizes coming to tyre dealers soon. With design compatibility for both electric and combustion engines, the UltraContact NXT offers top-notch label efficiency and outstanding mileage performance. It bears the EV Compatible logo and is suitable for various popular vehicles like the Kia Niro, VW ID.3, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Tesla Model 3, Audi Q4 E-TRON, Skoda Octavia, VW Golf 8, Audi A3, and many more.
