With the new UltraContact, Continental now offers summer tyres with a very long service life and new safety standards. To this end, the tyre developers have reworked the compound and tread to combine more kilometres and maximum robustness with safe handling and low rolling resistance. To achieve a long service life, a new, highly durable rubber compound known as the YellowChili compound was developed for the tread. It contains a particularly durable polymer compound network that produces less abrasion than conventional compounds. Thanks to its high-quality ingredients, it also bonds well with the road surface, providing a high level of grip, which is important for a good launch, precise steering and a safe braking distance. Another way to reduce wear and extend service life is the specially developed tread. Combining a large number of sipes with rigid tread ribs provides high stiffness and stability, as pressure is distributed evenly across the entire contact patch. A short braking distance even on wet roads is one of the most important tyre characteristics. With the new UltraContact, the large number of differently angled sipes ensures good water drainage from the contact patch into the tread grooves and tyre shoulders. This so-called bevel-sipe concept - the bevel is a chamfered surface - speeds up water drainage, ensuring a short braking distance in the rain.
UltraContact is suitable for use on both conventional cars and electric vehicles and, depending on the tyre size, is approved for speeds of up to 300 km/h. UltraContact will be available from spring 2022 and will be produced in a range of sizes to fit rim diameters from 14 inches to 20 inches.
