Continental presents new CrossContact Extreme E tyre for Season 2

Continental Tyres, premium partner of Extreme E, has developed a new high-performance tyre for Season 2 of the all-electric series, which begins with the Desert X Prix in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, this weekend (19-20 February).

All vehicles involved in the races will be exclusively equipped with the redesigned CrossContact Extreme E tyres for reliable performance that has sustainability at its core. When developing the 2022 model, engineers and materials experts at Continental not only improved performance, but also placed particular emphasis on a high proportion of sustainable materials.

The team at Continental has completely redesigned the tread compound and the carcass of the second-generation CrossContact Extreme E. Overall, the new tyres are made from around one-third recycled and renewable raw materials, including silica obtained from the ashes of rice husks, a waste product from agriculture.

In addition to reprocessed steel and carbon black, Continental is also using polyester yarn made from recycled PET bottles in the tyre carcass for the first time. Thanks to the use of plastic bottles, conventional polyester has been fully substituted in the CrossContact Extreme E. The application of these old PET bottles that wouldn’t otherwise be reused is achieved without any intermediate chemical steps, employing ContiRe.Tex technology.

Each of the 30 tyres that Continental is supplying to all Extreme E teams now contains recycled polyester made from around 60 reprocessed PET bottles. Just as Extreme E looks to inspire a more sustainable automotive industry, Continental will integrate this new tyre technology into the volume production of various Continental premium tyres later this year.

Nels von Schnakenburg, Technical Manager for Extreme E at Continental, said: “With the wealth of new knowledge gained during the first season, we have been able to enhance the next generation of CrossContact Extreme E and have placed an even greater focus on the use of sustainable and recyclable materials.”

Sandra Roslan, Project Lead Extreme E at Continental, said: “With Extreme E, we test our latest technologies and developments under particularly extreme and unique conditions. The results will help us in the introduction of sustainable solutions for our volume production. I’m confident that the tyre developers’ efforts will also influence the future of conventional tyres.

“We are ready for an even more exciting second Extreme E season and looking forward to once again proving the outstanding performance of our tyres under the toughest conditions. We have not only improved performance, but also placed particular emphasis on a high proportion of sustainable materials – and this is what Extreme E is all about."

The new and improved tyres will be used by the teams in all five X Prix of the 2022 season and have been optimized for maximum performance while keeping the size, diameter and width of the tyre unchanged from last year. Using the latest technology for greater sustainability and greater performance, the 2022 CrossContact Extreme E tyres are designed to withstand all climate zones and terrains, starting with the deserts of NEOM on February 19 and 20.

Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, Continental test driver who will be competing for Rosberg X Racing in Season 2, added: “I am proud to work with a company that pushes for sustainable technology, and am excited to push and develop our Season 2 tyre that is made from sustainable materials – but does not compromise on performance!

“I am excited for the future with Continental and there is plenty more to come.”