Continental Tire the Americas has introduced the Continental HSR2 Eco Plus, a fuel efficient steer axle radial developed for hybrid and regional service applications.
CTA said that the HSR2 Eco Plus, already EPA SmartWay verified, showed a 15% improvement in rolling resistance when tested with typical loads for those applications, which, it claims, translates into a 3% improved fuel economy.
The HSR2 Eco Plus features a fuel-efficient tread compound and has a four-rib design, protective curb rib for high-scrub applications, special groove geometry for cracking and tearing, and CTA’s visual alignment and tread depth indicators.
“The ideal fuel-efficient tire would have no ribs at all, creating less drag,” said Roger Stansbie, CTA director of radial truck tire technology, “The tire’s groove patterns and movement in the footprint offer up disruptions to the tire’s smooth rotation on the road. So the least number of grooves that we can use will give you better rolling resistance. But when driving on regional roads, you need more mutual contact between the rubber and the road surface. Grooves give you the ability to get traction, especially wet traction, and Continental also included a crucial element for regional driving our stone ejection technologies.”