Continental became the sole tire supplier of the racing series for Extreme E electric vehicles in 2023. Developing a new version of the CrossContact Extreme E tire for the race that started in Saudi Arabia on March 11, Continental goes one step beyond last year’s tires in terms of sustainability. Offering guaranteed performance for all climates and surfaces, the new CrossContact Extreme E tires consist of 43 percent recycled and edible components. Among these components, plant-based raw materials such as rice husk stand out.
Premium tire manufacturer and technology company Continental is supplying a new version of the CrossContact Extreme E tire for the electric Extreme E racing series. The third season of the competition kicked off with the Desert X Prix held in Neom, Saudi Arabia on March 11 and 12. Developed for racing, the new CrossContact Extreme E consists of approximately 43 percent recycled and renewable materials. Among these materials is silica obtained from the ash of rice husk, which is an agricultural waste material. In addition to processed steel and carbon black, Continental integrates polyester yarn from recycled PET bottles into the tire structure. In addition to increasing the use of new, more sustainable solutions, Continental has also reduced the overall weight of the CrossContact Extreme E tire by 2 kg. This feature provides emission savings during the transportation process.
Used PET bottles turn into rubber with ContiRe.Tex technology
The third generation CrossContact Extreme E also uses ContiRe.Tex technology developed by Continental. This technology; It enables polyester yarn to be produced from used PET bottles that have not been recycled elsewhere, without any intermediate chemical treatment. The bottles used for this technology are only sourced from areas where there is no closed-loop recycling. Continental supplied 30 tires to each of the ten teams competing in the third season of Extreme E, each containing polyester made from around 60 processed PET bottles. Continental currently offers drivers 3 mass-produced tire models in 5 sizes, each containing polyester from recycled PET bottles: the PremiumContact 6, EcoContact 6 and AllSeasonContact all-season tire.
Sustainable plant-based fillers
Along with rubber, fillers such as silica also form an important part of the tire structure. For example, silica; It helps to significantly improve characteristics such as grip, rolling resistance and mileage. In the CrossContact Extreme E, rice husks provide the base material for sustainably produced silica. Rice husks cannot be used as food or animal feed, as it is a waste product of rice production. Silica production, when obtained from rice husk ash, is more energy efficient than traditional materials such as quartz sand.
Taking sustainability one step further
The third generation of the CrossContact Extreme E will be used at all five events in the 2023 calendar and has been optimized for maximum performance in all climate zones and on all surfaces. Nels von Schnakenburg, Technical Manager of Continental Extreme E, said: “With this tire, we focused more on the use of sustainable and recyclable materials and prepared extremely well for the challenges of the 2023 season. We also achieved gains in handling performance and improved sustainability. “The tire’s performance and durability means it can withstand any challenge the Extreme E can bring.”
Continental is the co-founder and sole tire supplier of this off-road racing series, which will be held for the first time in 2021. Extreme E brings motor sports to the farthest corners of the world with electrically powered vehicles and aims to raise awareness by drawing attention to the effects of climate change.
Undertaking the mission of being the most progressive tire company in terms of environmental and social responsibility, Continental is committed to being carbon neutral throughout the value chain by 2050 at the latest.
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
