Continental takes major step forward in test technology

Continental has taken a major step forward in test technology for passenger car, van, and 4×4 summer and winter tyres, with new cutting edge technology at the Contidrom test track near Hanover.

The new facility at the Contidrom test track is integrated in a hall that is 300 metres long and up to 30 metres wide. In a fully automated process inside the hall, an unmanned test vehicle is accelerated to speeds of up to 120 km/h and then braked on interchangeable road surfaces with standardised pads.

Tests can be conducted on both wet and dry road surfaces. Testing can also take place in a separate ice rink using conventional methods.

Continental is now the first tyre manufacturer able to perform tests at its own site all year round, irrespective of the weather conditions.

When the facility is fully operational, it will have a capacity of around 100,000 individual braking procedures a year. Construction got underway last autumn. The tests are carried out on interchangeable, hydraulically powered road surfaces, with the temperature precisely regulated to the specified values.