67 percent of road freight transport in the EU is national, and regional freight traffic is booming. Changing consumer behavior and strong growth in the mail-order industry have made this transport segment the largest goods handling sector in Europe. Trucks in regional use need to be especially tough. Frequent braking and acceleration, maneuvering in tight spaces and different load conditions on changing road surfaces place heavy demands on all vehicle components. Tires play an important role here, being the direct link between the vehicle and the road. To meet the challenges presented by daily driving on regional roads, in urban traffic, and also on freeways, Continental has developed the new Conti Hybrid tyre range for the 17.5 and 19.5 inch formats used by light and medium-duty trucks.
For the typical wheel diameter of 17.5 inches, the Conti Hybrid LS3 for steering axles and the Conti Hybrid LD3 for driving axles are suitable for light trucks up to a total weight of 12 metric tons. Possible uses range from conventional delivery trucks and municipal services to interurban traffic on freeways. A number of innovative features help these new premium tyres master the wide variety of work in regional use. The Conti Hybrid LS3 and the
Conti Hybrid LD3 roll on a newly designed tread with a two-layer construction (cap base). High wear volumes and a specially developed rubber compound in the tread cap provide for excellent tyre life. The larger “plus volume pattern” in the tread of the new regional tyre and the special rubber compound of the tread base also considerably reduce rolling resistance caused by flexing. A new rubber compound for the sidewalls reduces internal heat build-up in the tyre, thus further reducing fuel consumption.
The new Conti Hybrid HS3 and Conti Hybrid HD3 in 19.5 inch formats for steering and driving axles are aimed at the regional transportation segment for vehicles with a total weight of more than 12 metric tons. Equipped with powerful overload reserves, the new Hybrid tyres can handle the higher weight of modern Euro 6 vehicles, and the varying load conditions that are a common feature of regional transportation.
The perfect choice particularly for trailers used in regional transportation is the Conti Hybrid HT3 19.5. This tyre, constructed to suit the handling characteristics of towed units, can easily handle powerful torsional movements at unloading sites in the urban freight distribution. It is also suitable for vehicle chassis with returnable containers or in the disposal sector, and has proven its worth in long-distance trips between depots.
The steering axle tyres of the new Conti Hybrid family are marked “M+S”, the drive axle tyres with “M+S”, and the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake Symbol (3PMSF).