Focus on VECTO – Tyres for a Sustainable Transport Sector

The EU Emissions Regulation has been in force since August 2019. The clock is ticking. CO2 emissions must be radically reduced by 2030.

In order to ensure that the targeted reductions are achieved in practice, the European Commission has introduced the VECTO simulation tool. Continental regularly updates and adds to the detailed information about VECTO on its website.

The manufacturer of premium tyres provides insights into the EU Regulation and what it means for the logistics sector and the aftermarket sector. Visitors to the site also learn how VECTO works and discover the part that tyres can play in cutting CO2 emissions.

Get to know the challenges and help cut CO2

A fleet’s carbon dioxide emissions are directly related to its fuel consumption and the rolling resistance of its tyres. Rolling resistance is one of the main factors affecting fuel costs. It can account for as much as 30 percent of the total fleet operating costs.

What exactly rolling resistance is, which factors influence it, and which other tyre parameters it affects, is all explained by Continental in a dedicated microsite. An illustrative, easy-to-understand video explains how rolling resistance helps save fuel and thereby reduces emissions. The choice of tyres is a crucial lever for truck manufacturers and fleet operators in their efforts to attain the EU’s ambitious emissions targets.

To enable the manufacturers and operators to hit these targets, the European Commission has joined forces with the University of Graz to create the VECTO simulation tool. VECTO can simulate the CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of individual truck configurations. Continental has the answers to the key questions here, explaining how VECTO works, which vehicles the tool is suitable for and how the tyres can help reduce fuel consumption and total fleet operating costs.

Tyre Finder helps identify the right tyres

With its new Tyre-Finder, Continentals’ regional fleet customers can access a quick guide to the relevant tyre in Continental’s portfolio, based on their operational requirements and routes travelled.

The platform is especially helpful for operators running smaller fleets, helping them choose the right tyres to suit long-haul or regional distribution operations, with information about the tyre portfolio and listing the characteristics of the different tyres available.

For larger fleets with more complex tyre needs, Continental recommends a detailed consultation to expertly analyse the performance of the tyres across the fleet and ensure the tyre policy is truly optimised to the customer’s specific requirements.

Being supported by Continental’s team of expert consultants coupled with their sophisticated data analytics can really help busy fleet managers understand their fleets performance and tailor a tyre policy accordingly.

Background: CO2 emissions and VECTO

According to EU data, 25 percent of CO2 emissions from road transport across Europe are generated by heavy-duty vehicles.

Along with tyre pressures, vehicle configuration and load distribution, the rolling resistance of the tyres is of decisive importance in terms of fuel consumption and thus the level of CO2 emissions.

In accordance with the 2019 European Regulation setting CO2 emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles, vehicle manufacturers must cut the CO2 emissions of their vehicles listed in the regulations by 15 percent by 2025 and by 30 percent by 2030, compared in each case to the reference year July 2019 to June 2020. You will find Continental’s VECTO microsite here.