Bold claim: Lower rolling resistance isn’t just a tech buzzword—it’s the driver behind more efficient, more capable vehicles. And this is where the conversation gets controversial: can we really reduce energy use without compromising grip and safety? Continental thinks so, and this article explains how.
Overview
You’ll find more information about sustainability at Continental here:
- Contact: https://www.continental.com/en/general/sustainability-contact-form/
- Overview of products and innovations: https://www.continental.com/en/products-and-innovation/
- Contact for products: https://www.continental.com/en/general/products/
- Tires: https://www.continental.com/en/products-and-innovation/products/tires/
- ContiTech: https://www.continental.com/en/products-and-innovation/products/contitech/
Press information
- Press
- Press Releases
- Low Rolling Resistance, Optimal Grip: How Continental Tires Reduce Environmental Impact
Press Release
Date: December 11, 2025
Key points:
- Continental is continually lowering rolling resistance with each new generation of passenger-car and van tires.
- Reducing rolling resistance lowers energy use and CO2 emissions, enabling greener mobility.
- Dr. Christian Strübel, Continental’s rolling-resistance expert for passenger-car tires, notes that the goal is to reduce energy needed to move a vehicle while maintaining safety.
Location and context
Hanover, Germany — Continental aims to minimize rolling resistance while preserving grip in all driving conditions. Rolling resistance and grip dramatically affect energy consumption and overall vehicle safety. With rising environmental awareness, higher fuel costs, and a shift toward electric mobility, rolling resistance remains a critical factor for the future of transportation. For internal-combustion engines, tires account for roughly 20–30% of fuel consumption. In electric vehicles, lowering rolling resistance can meaningfully extend range.
Quotations and goals
Dr. Strübel emphasizes that reducing rolling resistance helps vehicles go farther on the same amount of energy, saving customers money and benefiting the environment. The pursuit applies to both combustion and electric vehicles, with a focus on balancing efficiency and safety.
The engineering challenge
Rolling resistance arises from deformation and friction as the tire rolls, which costs energy. On the other hand, the friction between tread and road provides grip essential for braking and handling. Grip is particularly crucial because a tire’s contact patch is roughly the size of a postcard. Lowering rolling resistance without sacrificing grip is one of tire engineering’s greatest challenges. Continental is meeting this with advanced materials, innovative rubber compounds, and optimized tread designs.
Progress and examples
Over the past decade, Continental has cut rolling resistance in its passenger-car tire lineup by an average of about 15%. The latest examples, EcoContact 7 and EcoContact 7 S (launched spring 2025), carry the EU’s top “A” label for fuel efficiency and low rolling resistance.
Why rolling resistance matters for sustainable mobility
The transport sector is a major source of greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide. Eurostat data show EU road-traffic CO2 emissions increasing 24% from 1990 to 2022. Globally, transportation ranks second in emissions. Reducing rolling resistance lowers energy needs, making mobility more sustainable. Policies reflect this: the EU introduced a tire labeling system in 2009 (updated in 2021) to promote eco-friendly tires, with similar regulations in countries like China. The principle is straightforward: lower rolling resistance equals lower energy use and a better label.
A notable example is Continental’s VanContact A/S Eco, which holds the highest EU label ratings for rolling resistance, wet braking, and external noise (A/A/A). This tire is designed for evolving commercial-vehicle needs, offering electric-vehicle compatibility, resource efficiency, and optimized fleet performance.
Impact on vehicle types
Low rolling resistance benefits both combustion and electric vehicles by boosting energy efficiency and extending range. This attribute is often a primary criterion for automakers when choosing original-equipment tires. Today, 18 of the 20 largest-volume electric-vehicle manufacturers equip their vehicles with Continental tires as standard.
Watch and learn
To understand why rolling resistance matters, watch Continental’s short film here: https://media.continental.com/p/snztmb7HHcb6Aon2updQ1m
Controversial takeaway: Balancing efficiency and safety isn’t just a technical hurdle; it’s a policy and consumer education challenge. If tires can be engineered to cut energy use by, say, 15–20% while maintaining grip, should regulators push even further on rolling-resistance targets, potentially at the cost of other performance traits? What’s your view on prioritizing efficiency versus handling? Share your thoughts in the comments.
