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Getting buy-in on EV service

Charity said that 36 new dealers qualified for the Continental Gold program and attended the meeting. In total, nearly 700 people attended the event. (The Continental Gold Program started in 2005.)

Position On Ev Tires

During the Gold Dealer meeting, Joe Maher, product manager for Continental, explained the company’s position on tires for EVs.

Currently, Continental has fitments on seven of the top 10selling EVs, with overall coverage for 50% of new OE fitments and 100% of replacement EV fitments.

He said it is estimated that by 2030, 50% of new vehicles sold will be EVs. However, EVs will account for just 15% of the total number of vehicles in operation at that time.

Maher was quick to point out to dealers that they needed to be aware of what type of vehicles were in their market, as San Francisco, Calif., for example, already has a large population of EVs, while San Antonio, Texas, another example, does not.

Continental’s replacement EV tire performance focus is typically on grip and tread life, while the OE side is more about range and low noise, said Maher, who addressed five different “EV market perceptions:” efficiency, weight, torque, range and noise.

While Continental produces tires for EVs, Maher made it clear that the company does not make tires solely designed for EV fitments.

He also mentioned there are a wide number of factors that affect an EV’s range, which is a very important concern of EV purchasers. Ambient temperature, use of air conditioning, use of a heater, driving speed and tires all can determine a vehicle’s range, he noted.

There are 3,500 dealers who participate in the Continental Gold Dealer program, says Chris Charity, vice president of sales, U.S. PLT replacement business, Continental Tire the Americas LLC (far right, with Bill Caldwell, Continental senior vice president, U.S. PLT sales and marketing, center, and Travis Roffler, Continental’s director of marketing, left.)