How Do Continental Test Tyres?

At Kwik Fit, we understand more than most how important tyres are for the safety of you, your vehicle, your passengers, and other road users. To put it simply: there’s a lot riding on your tyres, so they need to be tested to the right standards to ensure they are up to the job. 

As one of the UK’s leading tyre retailers, we promote Continental’s tyres to our customers because of their incredible quality and the rigorous testing they undergo while being developed. 

The Kwik Fit team recently went on a trip to visit Continental’s site in Hanover, Germany to see how they test their tyres out. Read on to learn more about our findings.

Who are Continental?

Firstly, let’s reintroduce this premium tyre manufacturer. Founded in 1871, Continental is the fourth-largest tyre manufacturer in the world, with one in every three passenger cars in Europe being fitted with tyres from Continental.

Continental is always innovative and thorough in their design, producing regular and EV tyres with superb safety, braking, handling, and performance capabilities.

Kwik Fit has been working with Continental for decades as one of our premium tyre brands, and they stand out as a pillar in the industry for their tyres and other automotive parts.

Continental's tyre testing process

For Continental, testing their new tyres thoroughly and extensively is fundamental, and involves multiple stages. When we visited their testing facility in Hanover, we were impressed by the technology involved in their 100% simulation process — technology that’s quickly closing the gap between offline and virtual tyre testing.

Kevin Thorpe, our Digital Marketing Manager and tyre expert, took a ride in Continental’s tyre testing simulator, alongside Julian Kroeber who coordinates Continental’s tyre tests. The simulator does well to mimic the movements of a real vehicle; however, we learnt that Continental’s drivers receive training before carrying out simulations as there are a few crucial handling differences. Whilst the final tests have to be outdoors on a real track, the use of the realistic indoor simulation means the number of tyres used in testing has been reduced immensely. 

Why do continental test their tyres?

Even after centuries of being in the business, you can never be too safe. Continental tests their tyres to ensure that they meet their standards of safety, quality, and performance to protect vehicles and passengers alike. Without those quality checks, there may be a margin of error that could prove fatal, such as having inadequate tread depth or a composition that reacts unexpectedly in different temperatures.

What types of tyres do Continental make?

Tyres are so much more than just the point of contact between your car and the road. They’re not only designed for different terrains but can be tailored to suit different weather conditions too. Continental have a wide variety of tyres that have been specially formulated and tested to allow optimum performance in different driving conditions.

Summer tyres

Continental’s summer tyres are designed to suit driving conditions across most of the year in the UK — when the weather is over 7 degrees celsius. They have a dedicated rubber compound that delivers excellent grip and handling on both dry and wet roads during warmer conditions. 

Winter tyres

Continental’s winter tyres are designed to be swapped in when the temperature drops, as they provide the best grip for road surfaces that are wet or even icy, owing to their unique rubber compound. 

All-season tyres

Combining the characteristics of summer and winter tyres for maximum performance and handling capabilities, all-season tyres are a hybrid solution — meaning you get the best of both worlds throughout the year and in all the elements.

4x4 tyres

4x4 tyres have the best traction, working very well on tough terrains such as mud and grass without the tread area getting clogged. They also work well in snowy and rainy conditions because they are more widely-spaced, have a larger tread block, and deeper tyre grooves. 

Run-flat tyres

A revolution in the automotive industry, run-flat tyres are able to keep fully operational until the driver can make it safely home or to a garage in the event of a puncture. How? Because of their strong and thick reinforced sidewalls. However, run-flat tyres must be replaced with a new tyre promptly, as this reinforcement will only last for around 50 miles.

The future of testing tyres

As technology develops, and the need for sustainability becomes more important than ever, Continental’s testing methods will continue to evolve alongside the needs of the automotive industry. With a plan to keep developing their virtual testing and simulations, they will use a driver-in-the-loop (DIL) simulator at Contidrom for realistic virtual testing.

Simulator technology

Technology such as the Automated Indoor Braking Analyzer (AIBA) is increasingly allowing for braking to be tested accurately under simulated conditions and across a range of different tyre types. Using AIBA technology, Continental will be able to conduct year-round, fully automated braking tests on various surfaces. This will ensure that their testing is consistent and reproducible, regardless of weather conditions. 

Sustainability

Using a simulator instead of real vehicles has had a positive effect on the number of tyres being used in the testing process. Not only does this mean that there is less wastage, but there is also less energy and fuel consumption used as a result. What’s more, the introduction of innovations like the UltraContact NXT tyre (made from 65% recycled and renewable material) has furthered Continental’s sustainability efforts even more.

For Continental, the goal is to have efficient, safe, and sustainable tyres — reducing waste and environmental impact whilst improving safety through streamlining tyre development with advanced testing technologies. 

Get Continental tyres at Kwik Fit

At Kwik Fit, we want our customers to feel as safe and confident on the road as possible. That’s why our experts have time to discuss all of your tyre questions and help you find the right tyres for you. Contact us today to start the conversation.

You can find your local store and book in for a free tyre check to make sure you have the right pressure and depth, and that your tyres are generally in a good condition. In the meantime, check out our blog and guides for more tips and advice for your car.