Continental has been developing and producing winter tyres for 90 years. Named the “Gelände,” its first product specifically for the cold season was introduced in 1934. Decades of experience in this field have since paid off: the tread patterns and rubber compounds of today’s winter tyres from Continental are perfectly suited to these conditions. Ensuring more grip and shorter braking distances on snow, ice and in the rain. This is evident even at low driving speeds on a full layer of snow. At 40 km/h, a car with winter tyres comes to a stop around six vehicle lengths earlier than a car with summer tyres. To ensure that each new generation of winter tyres meets the highest safety standards, Continental tests its products extensively on test tracks around the world. The result: regular top ratings in independent tyre tests. In its latest winter tyre test, for example, the German automobile association ADAC named the WinterContact TS 870 its test winner, praising its precise and safe driving properties on dry, wet and winter roads.
“For 90 years, our winter tyres have been synonymous with safety in winter weather conditions. Softer rubber compounds improve adhesion, while sipes provide grip on snow and ice. And wider grooves displace water particularly effectively,” explains Martin Welzhofer, Head of Global Tyre Testing at Continental Tyres. “We put our winter tyres through their paces during testing on snow and ice, in Germany and Sweden.”
Winter tyres – a perfect combination of tread and rubber compound
The tread pattern and the rubber compound used for winter tyres are perfectly designed for driving in wintry road conditions. A winter tyre tread enhances traction, grip and braking performance – especially in snow, ice and rain. In combination with the tyre construction, a specially developed tread design significantly improves handling. Winter tyres are also made using a rubber compound that is softer and more flexible than for summer tyres. This gives the tyre significantly better adhesion at low temperatures. Optimized tread block cuts and sipes engage with the snow. Thanks to the sipes, which look like numerous small incisions in the tread, winter tyres run safely on snow and ice, preventing slippage on wintry surfaces. Wider and deeper grooves absorb a lot of water and effectively displace it. This ensures greater contact with the road surface.
The UK trade magazine “Tyre Review” recently compared summer and winter tyres when braking on ice and snow. On snow, the WinterContact TS 870 P from Continental came to a stop after 18.25 meters when braking hard from 40 km/h, while the reference summer tyre did so after 44.18 meters. At an average vehicle length of around 4.40 meters, this represents a difference of almost six car lengths. The figures are similar when braking on ice, where the WinterContact tyre tested came to a stop after 11.13 meters during emergency braking from 25 km/h and the summer tyre after 32.19 meters. Here, the braking distance of summer tyres is almost three times as long, or around 4.5 car lengths longer.
Continental extensively tests its winter tyres in Sweden and at the Contidrom
Safety is the highest priority, which is why every new tyre from Continental is tested in depth. A new winter tyre model undergoes the equivalent of up to 500,000 test kilometers in more than 20 test disciplines before it is ready for the market. During this testing, the tyres are put through their paces according to strict criteria, such as traction, directional control and braking characteristics on dry, wet and snow-covered roads. This ensures the shortest possible braking distance, exact steering precision and high cornering stability. In addition, tyre wear, fuel consumption, noise generation and general driving comfort also play an important role.
Part of the testing is carried out near the Arctic Circle at Continental’s test site in Arvidsjaur, Sweden. Here, the conditions are ideal for putting winter tyres to the test with regard to starting off, cornering stability, handling, and braking on ice and snow. Continental takes more than 60,000 individual measurements each winter. Further driving maneuvers are also carried out to check directional stability, with new tyre models being driven on around 18,000 bends on snow and ice.
The Contidrom test site near Hanover also has an indoor ice track that can be used all year round, regardless of the weather conditions. Here, experts test how new tyre rubber compounds behave in the cold. For this purpose, a driver takes a vehicle onto the icy surface and brakes. The measured data is then evaluated as required. The ice temperatures can be set to different levels of coldness. In addition, experts use the in-house tyre brake test facility to check how the tyres behave when braking on wet and dry roads – also on vehicles, but fully automatically, i.e., without a driver.
Utmost safety for more than 90 years
The first winter tyre from Continental was named the “Gelände” and was one of the first of its kind worldwide in 1934. The tyre featured a new type of tread specially designed for snow, ice and slush. In 1953, the company tested how well Continental’s winter tyres actually performed. Equipped with the Continental M+S tyre, vehicles safely crossed the snow-covered Gotthard Pass, a mountain pass in the Alps that connects Switzerland with Italy. Today, Continental pushes its tyres, such as the current WinterContact TS 870, to their limits on the test track in Sweden or in the Contidrom’s ice hall. The company is also continually researching new profiles, materials and technologies. Winter tyres from Continental ensure maximum safety on winter roads – and have been doing so for 90 years.