An international jury also praised the company for the recycling of rubber from end-of-life tyres in conjunction with the retreading of truck tyres at the ContiLifeCycle plant in Hanover.
The award was presented at a ceremony held at the Tyre Technology Expo fair in Cologne, Germany, by journal Tire Technology International, to Jörg Nohl, vice president engineering tyres, and Christian Sass, head of Continental Truck Tyre Retreading EMEA.
Jury member David Shaw, head of research at Tyre Industry Research, said: “To my mind, Continental has combined the global strategic view with great products and a vision of a more sustainable future.
The new plant in Sumter, USA, shows commitment to a global future, while the Hurricane machine demonstrates a desire to reduce, reuse and recycle. Meanwhile, their car and truck tyre products continue to win praise from independent testers and fleets.”
Also, Bridgestone ‘ologic’ technology was voted “Tire Technology of the Year” at the awards.
Bridgestone has developed its ologic technology for the BMW i3 electric. Through both larger tyre diameter and narrower tread width, the technology keeps dry and wet traction and handling performance comparable to standard passenger car tires, while reducing rolling resistance
The Tyre Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence acknowledges endeavor in the field of tyre development and manufacturing.
A shortlist of contenders is drawn up based on nominations from readers and the editorial team at Tyre Technology International.
The shortlist is then passed on to an independent jury of international tyre experts who evaluate the nominees and select the winners.
The awards are presented each year in February at a ceremony staged at the Tyre Technology Expo fair in Cologne, Germany.
Source: Automotive Management Online
Published: 13 Feb 2014