Research and Development

Continental is developing new solutions for the mobility of the future.

The Continental Mobility Study 2024 clearly shows that technological advances in the areas of automated driving, large displays and voice control using artificial intelligence (AI) are highly popular with users. The use of sustainable materials in the production of tires is also attracting a lot of interest. These developments are geared to providing specially customized solutions – market-specific, tailor-made and modular. Another growing trend is that automotive interiors are being used for a wider range of purposes. These findings are incorporated directly into Continental’s research and development strategies in order to respond to customers’ ever-evolving requirements.

Continental is a driving force of automotive R&D excellence

The comprehensive strategy program “R&D Excellence” aims to reduce the research and development ratio of the Automotive group sector to below 10% of sales by 2027 and bring together developers at the highest level with a focus on effectiveness, efficiency and excellence. To achieve this, the program is designed to prioritize measures with the greatest impact and clear objectives. Significant progress was already made in 2024 in terms of the operating cost base, and implementation has picked up speed in all four pillars defined for the project: software excellence, project execution, footprint optimization, and specific measures within the business areas. The research and development teams in the Automotive group sector actively contribute ideas for improvement. Automotive is promoting R&D excellence as a way to rethink its operations and structural setup. The feedback of both developers and vehicle manufacturers is incorporated for this purpose, with a focus on driving technological progress.

Continental Holistic Motion Control software – first order from China

The Automotive group sector has received its first order for its newly developed “Holistic Motion Control” software – a decisive step toward industrializing the software-defined vehicle. The software decouples the driving functions for manual, assisted and autonomous driving from the hardware, paving the way for hardware-independent software functions and innovations. This is possible throughout the entire service life of a vehicle, with new function updates rolled out over the air.

The software package is scheduled to be launched on the market in 2025 as a pilot project in collaboration with a major Chinese automotive manufacturer and is already being scaled for multiple platforms and new customers. Holistic Motion Control can also be marketed as a stand-alone product. This cuts down on development costs and taps into potential new markets for the automotive software business. It complements the broad-based hardware and system business and gives Continental a decisive edge over the competition when it comes to the software-defined vehicle.

Continental makes advances in server-based vehicle architectures with zone control units

With the introduction of its zone control units (ZCUs) for European and Asian car manufacturers, Continental has taken a decisive step toward server-based vehicle architectures. ZCUs form the middle layer of the electric and electronic architecture of software-defined vehicles. They enable decentralized power supply and support the separation of hardware and software. Thanks to its modular development platform, Continental is able to start production just over a year after receiving an order, accelerating the rollout of software-defined vehicles. ZCUs optimize data management by consolidating electronic connections within specific vehicle zones, reducing weight and complexity, and at the same time facilitating over-the-air software updates. This innovative architecture cuts down on the high number of individual electronic control units, simplifies cabling and minimizes CO2 emissions.

By carrying over proven software across models, Continental has reduced the time and effort needed for validation, ultimately also accelerating the time to market. ZCUs were developed to help customers manage and minimize complexity and smooth the transition to more advanced vehicle architectures. Given the ongoing potential to enhance the efficiency of software-defined vehicle architectures, this solution will become more and more relevant in the future.

Transparent tech: Invisible Biometrics Sensing Display monitors passengers’ vital signs

With its new Invisible Biometrics Sensing Display, Continental has introduced an innovation in display technology that tracks the vital signs of persons inside the vehicle using a camera and a laser dot projector to support a wide range of safety and comfort features. What is special about the technology is that it is concealed out of sight behind the OLED display and can see through the screen itself. This boosts acceptance among users and unlocks new creative possibilities for designers of car interiors. In addition to its comprehensive driver monitoring functionalities, the solution offers new safety features such as 3D distance mapping for driver and passengers, providing optimized airbag deployment and reliable seat belt detection. Biometric image analysis also makes it possible to measure vital signs such as heart rate to identify stressful situations or an impending medical emergency – situations where every second counts. The Invisible Biometrics Sensing Display, which was developed in technological partnership with trinamiX, a leading provider of biometric solutions and subsidiary of BASF SE, was a CES Innovation Award Honoree in November 2024.

Continental receives CLEPA Innovation Award

Continental was awarded the prestigious CLEPA Innovation Award 2024 for outstanding technological achievements in the field of automotive software development. CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, presented the award in the “Digital” category to the Smart Cockpit High-Performance Computer Virtualization, a cloud-based solution that is revolutionizing the development of vehicles. This award highlights Continental’s dedication to enhancing future mobility, making it safer, more efficient and more sustainable through pioneering technologies. The virtualization solution makes it possible to start software development using virtual electronic control units (vECUs) before the hardware – e.g. for microcontrollers or processors – is even available. This allows the development of hardware and software to run largely independently of each other and at the same time in parallel, significantly reducing development time and making it easier to identify potential problems early on in the development process.

The solution is based on the vECU Creator, which is part of Continental’s cloud-based Automotive Edge framework (CAEdge). CAEdge provides a state-of-the-art virtual environment for fast and flexible software development and supports a number of different operating systems, including Android and Linux. This solution is instrumental in enabling the continuous development and integration of new features for improved safety and a better driving experience over the entire life cycle of a vehicle.

Continental introduces cross-domain high-performance computers and CAEdge software-defined vehicles

Continental has successfully deployed a pioneering cross-domain high-performance computer (HPC) in a car, showcasing the capability of software-defined vehicles (SDVs). This innovative HPC integrates cockpit functions and advanced functions for driving safety and automated parking. It is also a tangible example of how Continental’s cloud-based software development framework CAEdge can be applied in practice.

The collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies meant that developers were able to use the Snapdragon Ride Flex system-on-a-chip, optimizing both costs and performance. The integration improves the driving experience by offering added assistance features, safety and comfort.

The SDV technology vehicle serves as a platform for validating the seamless integration of multiple technologies within a single HPC architecture and underlining the feasibility and cost benefits of this approach. By reusing tried-and-tested software across all areas, Continental aims to reduce the time and effort involved in validation and accelerate development, ultimately speeding up the time to market. The CAEdge framework also supports efficient software development by giving engineers the option to test applications and resolve any faults in a cloud environment prior to deployment.

Conti EfficientPro 5 sets new standards in rolling resistance

Continental offers its customers innovative tire solutions for the secure, sustainable and cost-efficient operation of trucks and buses. These include the new Conti EfficientPro 5. Developers have succeeded in reducing the tire’s rolling resistance by 10% compared with its predecessor within the EU tire label Class A. As a steering-axle tire, it is also the first long-haul tire in size 315/70 to enable an axle load capacity of 8.5 metric tons, making it ideal for electric trucks. The original-equipment tire for long-distance applications sets new standards in energy efficiency and boosts battery range.

The tread’s special rubber compound combined with the tire’s rigid profile help to reduce rolling resistance, which in turn extends mileage by around 5% compared with the predecessor model. The tire’s profile provides a secure grip and superior tracking, and the tire itself has extremely quiet external rolling noise (EU tire label Class A).

Continental, DT Swiss and Swiss Side partner to develop wheel-tire system featuring crosswind-taming AERO 111 bicycle tire

Continental has partnered with class-leading cycling brands DT Swiss and Swiss Side to create the ultimate wheel-tire system (WTS) for both enthusiast and pro riders looking to gain every marginal advantage in pursuit of performance. The collaboration has resulted in an innovative front-wheel-specific tire: the AERO 111.

Continental’s most aerodynamic tire yet, the AERO 111 deploys a patented tread incorporating 48 cavities that are equally distributed over the tire surface. These innovative cavities act as vortex generators that control the turbulence of the air as it hits the front wheel. This action promotes the adherence of airflow to the front wheel rim profile and delays flow separation, maximizing the sailing effect. The AERO 111 uses Continental’s race-optimized Black Chili tire compound to ensure exceptional rolling resistance and grip in both wet and dry conditions, while Active Comfort Technology absorbs vibrations for a smooth ride.

Continental offers automated and continuous tread depth measurement for commercial-vehicle tires

Continental is offering automated tread depth measurements for tires thanks to its latest generation of ContiConnect sensors. For the first time, fleet operators are now able to obtain precise and daily updated data on the rate of wear of their commercial-vehicle tires. Backed by AI-based algorithms, the sensors allow operators to precisely plan the tire services needed for individual commercial vehicles, as well as for their entire fleet. This increases the safety and efficiency of the fleet, saves costs and helps to reduce CO2 emissions.

The sensor measures changes in the tire’s radial acceleration. The more flexible the rubber of the tread, the shallower the tread depth. This data is used to draw conclusions about the changed rolling behavior of the tire and therefore about the tire wear. In turn, the AI utilizes the tire specifications and tire mileage, taking vehicle-specific factors into account. Based on these, it predicts the tread depth of the tire and the expected tire mileage. The new tread depth measurement and the tire service planning complement Continental’s existing ContiConnect solution portfolio, which already includes data on tire pressure, temperature and mileage.

Top marks for Continental passenger-car tires in independent press tests

2024 saw Continental’s summer, winter and all-season tires undergo 82 tests by independent trade media worldwide – all of which confirmed them as a good and safe choice. This was supported by an internal analysis in early February 2025. In the tests published this year, Continental’s passenger-car tires placed in the top three in all segments 63 times. The PremiumContact 7 took first place in 19 out of 22 publications. A key reason behind these accolades is the tire’s outstanding safety, with the PremiumContact 7 achieving significantly shorter braking distances on wet and dry roads than its competitors. Germany’s ADAC also gave the tire top marks in the environment category thanks to its good mileage.

The WinterContact TS 870, developed by Continental especially for small and mid-sized cars, impressed in the winter tire tests by the ADAC, Auto Bild and the British trade magazine Auto Express.

Continental’s AllSeasonContact 2 performed extremely well in this year’s all-season tire tests: Germany’s ACE Auto Club Europa, which tested the “all-rounder” in winter and summer together with the testing organization GTÜ and Austria’s ARBÖ, crowned it test winner with the rating “highly recommended.” It also emerged victorious in tests conducted by Autozeitung and sport auto as well as British online publication Tyre Reviews.

Continental unveils sustainable surface solutions for the vehicle interior

The surface specialists in the ContiTech group sector are pursuing sustainability ambitions with a focus on carbon neutrality and a closed circular economy, supported by innovative materials like Xpreshn that are used in the vehicle interior. This product can be supplied with a product carbon footprint (PCF) of 0, meaning that the volume of CO2 released during manufacture is canceled out by the volume that is removed from the atmosphere. The material uses bio-based and recycled raw materials. As a thermoplastic monomaterial, Xpreshn can be fully recycled when it reaches the end of its life and the recyclate can be integrated into existing customer processes. In addition, the material weighs up to 60% less than standard materials and is also available in a vegan variant certified by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

New rubber compound for Continental air springs cuts carbon footprint by more than a third

With its TOUGH RUNR air springs, the ContiTech group sector has developed an alternative to conventional air springs that is efficient and resistant to aging across an extremely broad temperature range. In addition, TOUGH RUNR’s product carbon footprint (PCF) has been reduced by more than a third compared with an air spring based on synthetic rubber. The vast majority of air springs used in commercial vehicles are manufactured either from heat and ozone-resistant chloroprene, a synthetic rubber, or from cold-resistant natural rubber. For TOUGH RUNR, Continental developed a rubber compound consisting of natural rubber strengthened by especially high-performance ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). The result: air springs that boast a combination of ecological properties and adaptability to climatic conditions.

For two years, TOUGH RUNR has been factory-fitted in the trucks of a major European commercial vehicle manufacturer. Continental is currently developing the product further with the goal of making the material selection even more environmentally friendly – without compromising on performance.

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