Continental Introduces EV Compatible Tire for Urban City Buses

Engineered with a new tread compound, the Conti HAU 5 ensures a smooth and quiet ride, enhancing the commuting experience for both drivers and passengers as they navigate city streets and highways

Continental, one of the largest tire and automotive technology suppliers in the world, has released its first EV compatible truck/bus tire in the United States. The Conti HAU 5 is a metro all-position tire designed specifically for urban city buses.

As a premium tire manufacturer for both Original Equipment and Replacement markets Continental understands the need for tires that can withstand the additional weight load that come with electric vehicles. Continental’s EV compatible tire is designed with this in mind.

Despite the lower complexity of an electric drivetrain, wheel loads can increase due to the weight of the traction batteries. This leads to higher tire load capacities. At the same time, in order to efficiently convert the storage capacity of the batteries into maximum vehicle range, the rolling resistance of the tires must be minimized, thereby reducing energy consumption.

New vehicle concepts also bring changes in the center of gravity, wheel loads and torque levels and in the drive forces acting on the wheels. As a result, they can pose challenges for tire characteristics such as load capacity and abrasion resistance. Continental is aiming to develop and manufacture tires specifically to meet these needs. In respect of optimized rolling resistance in particular, Continental has extensive experience of tires with maximized fuel efficiency and holds a leading position in the industry.

“As an EV compatible tire, the Conti HAU 5 is able to fulfill the needs of electric vehicles and help to reduce combustion engine emissions over the long term,” said Shaun Uys, Head of Continental’s Truck Tire Replacement Business in the US. “In combination with its EV Compatible checkmark, this tire was designed with the needs of urban city buses in mind and has features that ensure safety and comfortability for passengers. We have seen the increase in the market share of electric and hybrid vehicles and we wanted to make sure that we provided a tire that not only fit the needs of where the market is today, but also where the market will be in the next few years.”

The market share of electric vehicles has continued to increase over the past few years. According to data gathered in 2023 by S&P Global Mobility, 67 percent of buses registered in the U.S. as class 4 – 8 vehicles, are classified as electric or hybrid. And the CAGR of original equipment electric buses in the U.S. is projected to be 38 percent from 2023 to 2028.

Specifically designed for urban city buses, the Conti HAU 5 is a metro service all-position tire, prioritizing both passenger safety and comfort, two of the largest factors for this vocation. Engineered with a new tread compound, the Conti HAU 5 ensures a smooth and quiet ride, enhancing the commuting experience for both drivers and passengers as they navigate city streets and highways.

Since safety is paramount, especially in the demanding vocation of city bus transport, where weather conditions var, the buses need a tire that can stand up to all climates. The Conti HAU 5 meets these challenges head-on with Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake designation. This designation ensures that the tire provides traction on medium-packed snow, crucial for maintaining stability and control in winter conditions. The tire has a block tread pattern provides reliable snow traction in areas with milder winter climates, ensuring consistent performance across diverse weather scenarios.

When designing the Conti HAU 5 Continental looked at the environment that a city bus tire endures when it is in service. One of the biggest concerns for city buses is that they endure high scrubbing from pulling up to sidewalks on a regular basis. To combat this, the Conti HAU 5 features an extended sidewall to protect the tire and sidewall indicators to inform fleets of when to pull the tire from service for the safety of their passengers. The tread compound also delivers excellent milage in high scrub, urban metro conditions.

The Conti HAU 5 is available in size 305/85R22.5, load range J. It has a 24/32nds tread depth and is available as an intelligent tire. The tire features a durable casing for premium retreadability.

 

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