During the #ContiEuropeanRoadshow, we have various topical worlds on board that can be discovered at and in our show truck. We have already presented the overarching LODC concept to you as the first topical world – now we will continue with the second: Everything about van tires and how to find the perfect equipment for delivery vehicles.

We all know the situation: the delivery service drives in and drops off the goods we ordered online. In Germany, e-commerce sales have almost doubled in the past five years. The last mile to the front door is the big moment for vans and delivery trucks. These vehicles need special tires for special requirements. That’s why we at Continental have developed the VanContact Ultra – and will of course be presenting this tire at the #ContiEuropeanRoadshow in its own topical world. Because even though our show truck has a large tractor and an even larger trailer – in addition to truck and bus tires, van tires are an integral part of our portfolio for commercial vehicles.

Back to the delivery service. It drives through a narrow side street, brakes, and scrapes its tires along the curb. The driver stops briefly, jumps out of the vehicle, and walks to the front door with a package under his arm. Shortly afterwards, he’s back behind the wheel and drives a few meters to the next delivery address.

Continental VanContact Ultra – durable and robust

What do tires have to look like to withstand this kind of stress in the long run? “Well, like our new VanContact Ultra summer tire or our VanContact A/S Ultra all-weather tire,” says product manager Julia Schreinemacher. Continental’s tire developers have designed both models specifically to meet the demands of the last mile. “These tires are characterized by exceptional mileage, robustness and optimized rolling resistance,” explains Schreinemacher. Thanks to additional rubber layers and a rubbing strip running around the entire side of the tire, the sidewall is particularly stable. This significantly minimizes the risk of a breakdown due to curb bumps or objects being driven into the tire. “In addition, the optimized rolling resistance has a positive effect on fuel efficiency. And the long service life makes the VanContact Ultra sustainable in the best sense,” adds the Continental expert.

As a product manager at Continental, Julia Schreinemacher is also an expert on van tires.

So, the specialists for the last mile also fit perfectly into the holistic LODC concept. “With these tires and our services, fleets succeed in minimizing their operating costs, which are influenced by tires,” says Ralf Benack, who is responsible for fleet solutions at Continental in the EMEA region. Furthermore, he’s convinced that van fleets become a thing: “In addition to all the delivery services, passenger transport in such vehicles is also gaining in importance through shared mobility.”

Curious now? Why not pay our show truck a visit and experience the topical worlds up close! You will soon find out what else there is to discover besides LODC and van tires here in our blog.