Economy and safety for day-to-day use:The new VancoEco™ for light commercial vehicles and vans.
Continental has added a new tire with savings potential to its range that has been specially developed for vans like the Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit and Volkswagen T5. The new VancoEco has around 30 percent less rolling resistance, which can save a calculated four percent in fuel and emissions. At the same time, the engineers have managed to keep the braking distance on dry and wet roads short and to make the tire perform like a car tire.
The great savings potential has been made possible by two design measures that together help reduce rolling resistance considerably. The new transporter tire has been given a silica tread compound like the ones already used for car tires. In addition, the tread design for the transporter tire has been changed so that deformation, which all tires are subjected to when the tread elements run into the ground contact area, could be reduced considerably. The two measures combined with a very shallow tire contour allow up to 30 percent less rolling resistance.
Highlights:
Cost-effective due to optimised rolling resistance
Short braking distances, even on wet surfaces
Car-like handling
Cost-effective due to optimised rolling resistance. With its new silica tread compound, developed to reduce rolling resistance, and particularly firm tread, the Vanco™ Eco is an impressive performer. Its flat contour and reduced tread depth ensure less deformation of the tyre during rotation even under a heavy payload. The result: lower fuel consumption due to reduced rolling resistance.
Short braking distances, even on wet surfaces. Due to the increased loading capabilities of light commercial vehicles, high demands are placed on the braking performance of van tyres, especially in wet conditions. The gripping edges of the pattern blocks create a windscreen wiper effect and ensure an optimal interlocking with the road surface for short braking distances.
Car-like handling. High tread rigidity and a firm tread pattern with a solid tyre shoulder enable the optimal transfer of lateral forces and gives the vehicle more perceptible car-like handling.
EU Tyre Label and Efficiency Classes
The European Union has introduced the EU Tyre Label by Regulation (No. 1222/2009) identically and bindingly for all EU member states. It applies to passenger car tyres, light commercial vehicle tyres and heavy commercial vehicle tyres produced after 01.07.2012.
Three different areas are tested: rolling resistance, wet grip and the rolling noise the tyre makes on the road.
The following are not affected by the EU Tyre Label: retreaded tyres, professional off-road tyres, racing tyres, tyres with additional devices to improve traction such as spiked tyres, T-type emergency tyres, special tyres for fitting to vehicles first registered before 1 October 1990, tyres with a maximum authorised speed of 80 km/h, tyres for rims with a nominal diameter of 254 mm or less or 635 mm or more.
With this regulation, the European Union is pursuing the goal of promoting economic and ecological efficiency in road traffic as well as increasing road safety on the one hand, and on the other hand, granting consumers more product transparency and at the same time serving as an active decision-making aid.
Already during the incorporation, experts criticise the fact that the EU Tyre Label unfortunately only shows a few product characteristics. Apart from rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling noise, which are the main focus of EU tyre labelling, tyres have much more important and safety-relevant product characteristics, such as aquaplaning properties, driving stability, service life, braking properties on dry and wet roads, behaviour in wintry conditions, etc.
Tyre manufacturers point out that test results from various institutions and journals remain an important information medium for the end consumer. These tests usually focus on further safety-relevant product characteristics besides the EU standard qualifications for tyre labelling, which are always important for the final customer.