Fort Mill, South Carolina, March 2, 2012. Following last year’s challenge to Mid-America Trucking Show attendees to provide feedback on tire designs, Continental Tire the Americas, LLC’s (“Continental”) Commercial Vehicle Tire business unit will be showcasing its first wide single drive tire product at the 2012 event.
Continental’s HDL2 Eco Plus (Heavy Drive Long Haul) in size 445/50R22.5 has now been officially launched for sale and will be on display in the Continental pavilion at MATS, booth 18252, said Clif Armstrong, Continental’s director of marketing for commercial vehicle tires in the Americas.
“Along with Continental’s HTL1 trailer tire, the HDL2 Eco Plus represents the new standards in fuel efficiency and mileage for long haul fleets who want to maximize the benefits of wide single truck tires,” Armstrong said. “Not only are these tires easier to check for inflation, and easier to maintain, but their lowered weight from two less beads, sidewalls and rim assemblies and advanced compounding mean that they offer significant reductions in rolling resistance. This translates directly into both fuel and maintenance savings for cost-conscious fleets and owner-operators.”
The HDL2 Eco Plus wide single features 27/32nds of tread depth, a closed shoulder and a three-dimensional sipe in the center of each tread block that allows flexibility, but couples the groove under compression for increased strength. The tire’s advanced groove geometry separates the forces at each side of the groove bottom and reduces premature wear, said Roger Stansbie, Continental’s director of commercial vehicle tire research and development in the Americas. Additional features for lower rolling resistance, and thus, better fuel economy, include straighter, narrow groove designs and Continental’s Eco Plus advanced compounding.
The HDL2 Eco Plus is also the first of a series of drive tires from Continental to feature evolving sipe technologies, where a void in the middle of the tread blocks creates a regenerating sipe as the tread wears, Stansbie said.
“The sipes at the top of the tread disappear through the life of the tread, the shape of the tread block evolves and the void creates a new sipe. This ensures that the tread design of the HDL2 Eco Plus maintains its traction characteristics throughout the tire’s lifetime, and prevents the tread blocks from wearing prematurely into rib shapes,” Stansbie explained.
Continental wide single truck tires are also an excellent choice for fleets who want to maximize their cargo carrying capacity, Armstrong said. “Continental’s 445/50R22.5 tires replace a twin set of 275/80R22.5 duals with significant savings in weight — 668 pounds less when combined with aluminum wheels on a five axle combination. This means our customers can boost their payloads to carry additional cargo and make every truckload count.”
“Put together the benefits, and these Continental products represent the evolution of wide singles,” he said.
The HDL2 Eco Plus wide single is available now from Continental truck tire dealers throughout NAFTA countries, in size 445/50R22.5, load range L. For technical information, visit www.continental-truck.com or the Continental pavilion at the Mid-America Trucking Show, March 22-24 in Louisville, Ky.
About Continental:
With sales of €30.5 billion in 2011, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately 164,000 employees in 46 countries.
Continental’s Commercial Vehicle Tires business unit is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of truck, bus and industrial tires with a workforce of 7,200 and a turnover of over €1.4bn. Thanks to an optimized combination of products and services covering the full life of their tires, the business unit makes a major contribution to the economic and ecological efficiency of transport companies. You will find further information at www.continental-truck.com
For more information:
Jackie Pobiega
Communications Manager, Commercial Vehicle Tires
Continental Tire the Americas, LLC
1830 MacMillan Park Drive
Fort Mill, SC 29707
Phone: 704-583-8564
Fax: 704-583-8737
E-mail: jackie.pobiega@conti-na.com
Subscribe to CVT Media's RSS Feed | 
© 2013 Continental Tire the Americas, LLC. |
