Exclusive: Continental Middle East’s MD talks about diversifying, sustainability at BestDrive branch launch

Continental has opened its first ever BestDrive facility in Dubai. The branch will be managed by Emirates for Universal Tyres L.L.C. (EUT). The firm has now launched three branches of BestDrive in the UAE each of which offers a number of automotive products and services like fitment of brakes, batteries, shock absorbers and other related services alongwith the usual tyre fitment solutions

At the opening ceremony in the Al Quoz district, Fadi Habr from YallaMotor sat down with Karel Kucera, Managing Director of Continental Middle East, for an engaging and insightful conversation regarding the German tyre manufacturer’s future plans. Excerpts 

Fadi: What services is Continental offering?

(Karel Kucera) KK: We are offering the tyres and tyre related services plus fastening services and services like AC servicing, change oil, batteries, suspension, brakes, etc. Of course this comes from the survey that we were asking among the UAE drivers so we are offering fastening services and later on we will expand our services based on the feedback and demand of the market.

Fadi: Any other product launches?

KK: Tyre products and we are very much focused on sustainability. We are producing tyres made from recycled pet bottles. So this is something very special as sustainability is also a very important topic for the UAE.  We are producing the tyres which have the polyester part taken from the pet bottles so we are offering this already in Europe and now we are coming with this in the UAE so we are very much centered around sustainability and by 2050 we want all tyres produced from this.

Fadi: What makes Continental different from other brands?

KK: Look, there are various things. We are opening the BestDrive which is I would say the main highlight. It's a very unique concept. It's a tyre concept we are launching in all six continents and we have just launched this brand in the middle east. Nice opening we can say. It's the only premium retail concept by the continental tyres and as you know continental tyres is a leading automotive supplier. We are not just about tyres but other products in the accessories as well which I believe is also a very good thing because we are very close to the automotive industry so we can also be of help to our partners and dealers.

For example, now a days the electric cars is a very specific product is also coming to the UAE and electric cars are very different from that of cars with combustion engines and so for our tyres its very important that they should really fit proper tyres because the electric are much more heavy close to 2 tons which is 30% more heavy than the combustion engine.The electric cars are very quite as you don't hear the noise of the transmission of engine, so the needs to be quite and since the electric engines are very high torque so the tyre also needs to be able to transmit the torque to the ground