The last Frankfurt Motor Show was not just about new car models. Continental, a multi-component supplier to the automotive industry but perhaps best known for its tyres, has unveiled a prototype of what could be the tire of the future, the Conti C.A.R.E.
C.A.R.E. is an acronym that stands for Connected, Autonomous, Reliable and Electrified, that is, it was developed taking into account a future context where the car is electric, autonomous and connected, both in private use. as of shared mobility.
The objective is to achieve optimized tire management, always guaranteeing the desired performance.
To this end, wheel and tire become part of a unique technological system. The tire is equipped with a series of sensors built into its structure, which continuously assess various parameters such as tread depth, possible damage, temperature and pressure.
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This assessment system, called ContiSense, communicates the collected data to the ContiConnect Live application, allowing, for example, an operator to more effectively manage future robot taxi fleets, which could benefit not only the performance of the tire but even optimize operating costs.
But the main trick of Conti C.A.R.E. it's your ability to actively adjust pressure. The wheel integrates centrifugal pumps, where the centrifugal force generated by the circular movement of the wheels acts on the air pump, generating the necessary compressed air.
This technology, called PressureProof, is thus able to constantly maintain the ideal pressure, opening up possibilities for reducing CO2 emissions — circulating at pressures below those indicated negatively influences consumption, which, by association, increases dioxide emissions of carbon (CO2).
If the tire has excess air, the system is able to extract it and store it in a small integrated deposit, which will be reused if necessary.
When will we see this technology reach the cars we drive? It's a good unanswered question. For now, Conti C.A.R.E. it is just a prototype.
