FORT MILL, SC - Continental Tire the Americas, LLC’s Commercial Vehicle Tire business unit has submitted two retread tire products for verification as low rolling resistance technologies, under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership’s new performance standards.

Continental’s HDL Eco Plus ContiTread (drive) and HTL Eco Plus ContiTread (trailer) were first presented to the EPA Technology Assessment Center in December 2011 and were officially submitted for verification on June 12, the same date as the announcement of the performance requirements for retreads on class 8, line-haul trucks, said Roger Stansbie, Continental’s director of radial truck tire technologies, the Americas.

“Because of the adoption of these standards by the SmartWay Transport Partnership, the importance of manufacturing retreaded truck tires that perform just as well as the new products has been brought to the forefront of fleet owners and professional drivers across the U.S. Continental’s ContiTreads have always been made with the same standards and tread patterns as our new tires, which are the largest number of products verified by SmartWay today for low rolling resistance,” said Paul Williams, executive vice president for truck tire, the Americas.

“Our submission of these ContiTread products for verification by SmartWay – as soon as the standards were published – is a testimonial to how committed Continental is to helping fleets lower their overall driving costs, over the entire life of their tires,” Williams said.

According to the new standards provided by the EPA Technology Assessment Center, verified low rolling resistance products, when used on line-haul, class 8 trucks, will provide reductions in fuel consumption of at least 3 percent compared to the most popular retread products now in use.

The SmartWay Transport Partnership, introduced on February 9, 2004, is an innovative collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the freight industry.

SmartWay is designed to promote creative approaches to reducing the energy and environmental impact of transport through a combination of strategies including more efficient tires, better aerodynamics, lower speeds, reduced idling, improved logistics, effective use of intermodal options, improved packaging, driver education and tire maintenance, among others. 

(Pictured: Continental's HDL Eco Plus and HTL Eco Plus ContiTread retread products were part of the TRIB "Spot the Retreads" Contest at the 2012 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.)