Continental committed to developing ultra-low rolling noise tires
Date：2026/2/11
As electric vehicles have become more widespread, the noise generated by traditional internal combustion engines has significantly decreased. This has made the noise generated by tire-road contact, or rolling noise, particularly prominent. Continental points out that tire noise is most noticeable during everyday driving at speeds between 30 and 100 kilometers per hour. At these speeds, tire noise becomes a major component of modern traffic noise.
To address this challenge, Continental has developed multiple technical solutions.
Silent Tread Design: This design is applied to tire series such as the EcoContact 7. This design disrupts the uniform block arrangement typical of conventional tires. By using irregular block spacing and angles, the design scrambles the fixed vibration frequencies generated when the tire contacts the road surface. This significantly suppresses the unpleasant "humming" noise. This technology is optimized for common urban speeds (e.g., approximately 50 km/h) and effectively reduces external road noise, benefiting pedestrians and surrounding communities.
ContiSilent Technology: This core innovation involves bonding a layer of specially engineered, lightweight polyurethane foam to the inner wall of the tire. This foam efficiently absorbs and dampens vibrations and resonance generated within the tire cavity. It reduces rolling noise transmitted into the cabin by up to nine decibels. According to acoustic principles, a 9-decibel reduction means the perceived noise level to the human ear is nearly halved, significantly enhancing cabin quietness. ContiSilent technology has been successfully applied to multiple summer tire models, including the high-performance SportContact 7, without compromising critical performance characteristics such as safety, grip, rolling resistance, or durability.
Full Product Line Coverage: Continental's noise-reduction technology now covers both the passenger car and commercial vehicle segments comprehensively. For example, the Conti Urban NXT tire is designed for city buses, and the VanContact A/S Eco tire is designed for commercial vans. The latter received the highest "A" rating in all three key categories—rolling resistance, wet braking performance, and external rolling noise—under the EU tire labeling system. This rating demonstrates an exceptional balance of quietness, safety, and energy efficiency.
Silent Tread Design: This design is applied to tire series such as the EcoContact 7. This design disrupts the uniform block arrangement typical of conventional tires. By using irregular block spacing and angles, the design scrambles the fixed vibration frequencies generated when the tire contacts the road surface. This significantly suppresses the unpleasant "humming" noise. This technology is optimized for common urban speeds (e.g., approximately 50 km/h) and effectively reduces external road noise, benefiting pedestrians and surrounding communities.
ContiSilent Technology: This core innovation involves bonding a layer of specially engineered, lightweight polyurethane foam to the inner wall of the tire. This foam efficiently absorbs and dampens vibrations and resonance generated within the tire cavity. It reduces rolling noise transmitted into the cabin by up to nine decibels. According to acoustic principles, a 9-decibel reduction means the perceived noise level to the human ear is nearly halved, significantly enhancing cabin quietness. ContiSilent technology has been successfully applied to multiple summer tire models, including the high-performance SportContact 7, without compromising critical performance characteristics such as safety, grip, rolling resistance, or durability.
Full Product Line Coverage: Continental's noise-reduction technology now covers both the passenger car and commercial vehicle segments comprehensively. For example, the Conti Urban NXT tire is designed for city buses, and the VanContact A/S Eco tire is designed for commercial vans. The latter received the highest "A" rating in all three key categories—rolling resistance, wet braking performance, and external rolling noise—under the EU tire labeling system. This rating demonstrates an exceptional balance of quietness, safety, and energy efficiency.
Achilles Tsotras, Head of Vehicle Interaction at Continental Tire, stated: "Traffic noise, especially from dense urban traffic, poses a significant challenge in modern society. Through systematic technological innovation, we are committed to proactively reducing tire noise without compromising safety. This enhances the driving experience and makes our cities more livable for everyone.”
Consumers can easily identify a tire's noise level through the EU's mandatory tire label. The label clearly displays the tire's external rolling noise value in decibels (dB), with lower numbers indicating quieter tires.
Continental has stated that it will continue to invest in R&D to integrate advanced noise-reduction technologies into more product lines, thus fulfilling its long-term commitment to enhancing road safety, comfort, and environmental protection.
Information source: Comprehensively compiled from securities information and network information.
Disclaimer: The content contained in it comes from the Internet, WeChat public account and other public channels, we have a neutral attitude towards the views in the article, and this article is for reference and communication only. The copyright of the reprinted manuscript belongs to the original author and institution, if there is any infringement, please contact us to delete.