Continental took first place in two fuel efficiency tests for both line haul and regional tests conducted by the PIT Group of FPInnovations. Three tire brands were tested for fuel efficiency in line haul applications and in regional applications: Continental, Michelin, and Double Coin. Tire size tested was 11R22.5. For both applications, Continental tires showed the best fuel efficiency, delivering up to 6% fuel savings over the other brands.

In the line haul application test, the following 11R22.5 tires from Continental were tested: Conti EcoPlus HS3 steer, HDL2 drive, and Conti EcoPlus HT3 trailer tires. The Continental tires delivered a fuel economy of 7.35 mpg, which is a 2.1% fuel savings over Michelin X-Line Energy. The test results were as follows:

In the regional application test, the following 11R22.5 tires from Continental were tested: Conti Hybrid HS3 (Conti HSL 3) steer, HDR2 EP drive, and Conti Hybrid HT3 trailer tires. The Continental tires delivered a fuel economy of 7.26 mpg, which is a 6.3% fuel savings over Michelin. The test results were as follows:

“Continental is proud to demonstrate the best fuel efficiency in both long haul and regional applications in this test,” said Paul Williams, Continental’s executive vice president of commercial vehicle tires for the Americas. “More than 3 million of our truck tires are manufactured here in the U.S. every year, helping us deliver the lowest overall driving cost to fleets across North America. Fuel efficiency is just one component – we also provide advanced engineering in new tires and retreads, innovative digital tire monitoring solutions, a nationwide service network, and 24-hour roadside support to help our fleet customers bring down the total cost of ownership,” said Williams.

One of the largest automotive suppliers and tire manufacturers in the world, Continental has developed advanced technologies to make fleets safer, more efficient, and more connected. With innovative tire technology and digital fleet solutions, Continental optimizes tire lifecycle management.

“Continental offers one of the most fuel-efficient regional product lines available on the market,” explained Helmut Keller, Continental’s head of brand and product management for commercial vehicle tires in the Americas region. “The Hybrid line is ideal for super-regional applications. This year, the steer tire will be renamed from Conti Hybrid HS3 to Conti HSL 3, but the tire characteristics will remain unchanged. This line features advanced tread compounding that delivers long removal mileage and low rolling resistance in regional applications.”

About the PIT Group Test

The fuel efficiency test procedure was based on TMC Fuel Consumption Test Procedure – Type III, RP 1103A. Each tire brand was tested on three identical vehicles, by switching tires from one test vehicle to another between tests, to clearly identify their impact on the fuel consumption. The vehicles used were 2016 International Prostar tractors powered by Cummins ISX15 engines, pulling 2018 Vanguard 53-foot two-axle cube van semi-trailers, at a cruising speed of 64.6 mph (104 km/h).

The testing was completed during the 21st Energotest campaign, which was held September 5–14, 2018, at the Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Test Centre in Quebec, Canada. Energotest evaluates solutions for achieving higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions of greenhouse gases in the trucking industry, providing fleets with indisputable data to choose the most efficient solutions.