Continental will once again supply a new version of the CrossContact Extreme E tyre for the fully electric race series Extreme E in 2023. The third season of the competition will commence with the Desert X Prix in Neom, Saudi Arabia on March 11 and 12. During the development of the new tyre, the engineers at Continental placed emphasis on using an even higher proportion of sustainable materials. All in all, the new CrossContact Extreme E now consists of around 43% recycled and renewable materials. Among these is silica obtained from the ash of rice husks, a waste material of agriculture. And alongside processed steel and carbon black, Continental is again integrating polyester yarn from recycled PET plastic bottles into the tyre’s construction. As well as increasing its use of new, more sustainable solutions, the tyre manufacturer has reduced the overall weight of the CrossContact Extreme E tyre by two kilogrammes leading to emissions savings in the transportation process.
ContiRe.Tex technology returns to action in the CrossContact Extreme E tyre
The third-generation CrossContact Extreme E also employs the ContiRe.Tex technology developed by Continental. This includes polyester yarn produced without any intermediate chemical steps from used PET bottles that are not recycled elsewhere. The bottles used for this technology are sourced exclusively from regions which do not have a closed recycling loop. Continental will supply 30 tyres to each of the ten teams competing in the third season of Extreme E, and each of those tyres will contain polyester from around 60 processed PET bottles. Continental currently offers road car drivers three series-produced tyre models with polyester from recycled PET bottles, each in five dimensions: the PremiumContact 6, the EcoContact 6 and the AllSeasonContact.
Sustainable plant-based fillers
Together with rubber, fillers like silica are also an essential part of a tyre’s construction. For example, silica helps to significantly improve characteristics such as grip, rolling resistance and mileage. In the CrossContact Extreme E, rice husks provide the base material for the sustainably manufactured silica. Rice husks are a waste product of rice production and cannot be used as food or animal feed. The manufacturing of silica is more energy efficient when it is obtained from the ash of rice husks than when conventional materials like quartz sand is used.
The third generation of the CrossContact Extreme E will be used in all five events on the 2023 calendar and has been optimised to deliver maximum performance across all climate zones and on all surfaces. “We have focused even more strongly on the use of sustainable and recyclable materials with this tyre and are extremely well prepared for the challenges of the 2023 season,” says Nels von Schnakenburg, Technical Manager for Extreme E at Continental. “We’ve also made further gains with handling performance and have therefore improved drivability. The performance and robustness of the tyre mean it will be able to withstand the full range of challenges Extreme E can throw at it.” The size, diameter and width of the tyre are unchanged at 37 x 12.50 R17 – which means a diameter of 37 inches, width of 12.5 inches and 17-inch wheel rims.
Continental is a founding partner of and exclusive tyre supplier to this off-road race series, which was held for the first time in 2021. Extreme E takes motorsport with electrically powered vehicles to the most remote corners of the globe with the aim of drawing attention to the effects of climate change among racing fans. The third season of Extreme E gets underway in Saudi Arabia on March 11 and 12. In Europe, the fully electric race series will be covered by various TV networks and broadcasters.
Continental’s Tires sector is pursuing a holistic approach to sustainability across all phases of the tyre value chain. Continental has set itself the mission of becoming the most progressive tyre company in terms of environmental and social responsibility. For Continental, circular economy solutions represent an important route to achieving its ambitious goal of carbon neutrality throughout its value chain by 2050 at the latest.
