Continental unveils locally manufactured tyres and new digital solutions for the commercial vehicle segment.

Continental Tyres has introduced a new segment of 19 and 20-inch passenger vehicle tyres in India, aimed at the SUV and premium car segments.

The new Conti SportsContact5 and SportsContact5 SUV tyres were designed and developed at the company's plant in Modipuram, near Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. It took approximately 18 months to complete. The new tyres expand Continental's portfolio, which now includes sizes ranging from 13 to 20 inches in diameter for passenger vehicles in India, and will serve the estimated 27 million replacement tyre aftermarket.

As part of its Conti360 solutions, the tyre manufacturer also introduced new digital solutions for the commercial vehicle segment, such as sensors that enable 24x7 monitoring of tyres on the road.

The price of new tyres which are SportsContact5 and SportsContact SUV will be priced at a premium due to a focus on low rolling resistance coefficient (RRC), low noise, and high wet-grip performance attributes, even though 60-70 per cent of raw materials are still imported to achieve the desired performance results.

The company is also investing in brand development and expanding its presence in the Indian market. In response to the recent growth in the country's passenger vehicle segment, the company has increased its capacity by 15% over last year and claims to be using 100% of its installed capacity at Modipuram.

"India is a big market for us, and we'll keep investing in expanding our operations. Our target customer is concerned with comfort, performance, and safety. We are witnessing a significant shift in customer mindset, and this category of customers is rapidly expanding, creating an opportunity for us. India is rapidly transitioning from a cost-driven to a value-driven market " said Samir Gupta, Managing Director, of Continental Tires India.

"We currently have over 200 Continental-branded 'image shops' to increase visibility and allow customers to interact with Continental products. We also offer a 2-year unconditional ContiSure replacement warranty to customers "He continued.

While its passenger vehicle tyre range meets the low RRC and low rolling noise requirements of most electric vehicles (EVs), the company says it will introduce tyres with the ContiSilent and ContiSeal technologies in India at a later date.

According to the company, "seven of the world's ten most successful EV manufacturers rely on Continental tyres for their original equipment. overall, the company has a higher market share in the EV segment than in cars with combustion engines."

In CY2021, these EV OEMs included Tesla, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and Asian manufacturers like Kia and BYD, which also use Continental tyres as original equipment for their electric vehicles.

Continental Tyres is in talks with OEMs about direct tyre supply for its upcoming EVs.

About Continental Company

Continental creates cutting-edge technologies and services for the sustainable and connected mobility of people and goods. The technology company, founded in 1871, provides safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic, and transportation.

The mobility industry's transformation creates numerous opportunities. Continental realigned its strategy in 2020 to capitalize on these opportunities. This is founded on three pillars:

• Improve operational performance
• Make our portfolio stand out
• Convert change into opportunity.

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