Tire earns top EU label rating for rolling resistance

Waste tires, PET bottles and industrial byproducts used as raw materials

Continental Tire has developed a concept tire in which recycled materials account for about 43% of the total composition. [Provided by Continental Tire]
Continental Tire has developed a concept tire in which recycled materials account for about 43% of the total composition. [Provided by Continental Tire]

Continental Tire has developed a concept tire in which recycled materials account for about 43% of the total composition, while still achieving the top rating in the rolling resistance category of the EU tire label.

The concept tire was developed as part of ZEvRA (Zero Emission Electric Vehicles Enabled by Harmonized Circularity), an EU-supported project aimed at improving resource circularity across the entire electric vehicle production cycle.

A total of 28 organizations are participating in ZEvRA, which is set to conclude in 2026, with Continental as the only tire manufacturer involved. Through the project, the company researched material technologies that expand the use of recycled raw materials while maintaining the performance standards tires require — including safety, efficiency and durability.

The concept tire incorporates recycled tall oil, steel, rubber and carbon black recovered from waste tires, polyester fiber made from discarded PET bottles, and a silica substitute derived from casting process byproducts. Beyond waste tires, the project drew on discarded PET bottles and byproducts from other industries as tire raw materials.

Building on this research, Continental Tire plans to continue advancing recycled materials and related technologies with the goal of applying them to actual tire production. The company also aims to secure the technology needed for stable sourcing, processing and mass production of recycled raw materials, with a view to increasing the share of recycled content in future tire generations.

Continental Tire has been steadily expanding its use of recycled and renewable materials since 2022, when it began applying polyester carcasses made from recycled PET bottles to some passenger car tires.

"Using more recycled materials is important, but what matters most is maintaining the fundamental performance of a tire — safety and efficiency," said Niko Kyriazopoulos, head of the replacement tire division at Continental Tire Korea. "This concept tire has shown that it is possible to significantly raise the share of recycled materials without sacrificing performance. We will continue developing the relevant materials and technologies to broaden the range of what can be applied to actual products."

Meanwhile, Continental Tire is strengthening its partnerships with global automakers, including supplying its EcoContact 7 as original equipment tires for Volkswagen's new compact electric vehicle, the ID. Polo.


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