Conti to display dandelion rubber-based truck tires

Hanover, Germany – Continental AG is exhibiting truck and bus tires and components made with rubber from dandelion roots at the IAA International Motor Show/Commercial Vehicles in Hanover on 26-29 Sept.

Conti plans to exhibit Conti EcoPlus HD3 truck tires manufactured using Taraxagum rubber, as well as a prototype engine mount made from Taraxagum.

Taraxagum is the trade name Conti has chosen for the rubber made from Taraxacum kok-saghyz, commonly known as the Russian dandelion.

“As an agricultural crop, dandelions have the potential to become an alternative, environmentally friendly raw material source, thereby hoping to reduce our dependency on traditionally produced natural rubber,” Conti said in a press release.

The company recently won the Innovation Award and Green Award at the Automechanika 2016 international trade fair for its Taraxagum tires project. These awards, Conti noted, reflect the opinions of experts in the automotive service industry trade.

Also at the Hanover fair, Continental plans to exhibit a Taraxagum intermediate propeller shaft bearing that stabilizes and minimizes the transmission of vibrations to the chassis, the company said. The engine mount insulates the structure-borne noise from the engineer, enhancing ride quality and driver safety.

Conti made a premium winter tire with a Taraxagum tread in 2014, and recently allocated $39 million to build a dedicated dandelion rubber research facility in Anklam, Germany. The company said it plans to introduce commercial Taraxagum products within the next five to 10 years.

“The plants can be cultivated in Northern and Western Europe, which makes transportation routes to the European production sites much shorter and contributes to the sustainable use of existing resources,” the company said.