Continental has successfully built a set of special tyres for the new Extreme E racing series, a new class of auto racing that involves electric SUVs racing off-road in extremely remote parts of the world. Continental is also a founding partner and will serve as the exclusive tyre supplier for the series.
Destined to be one of the most extreme racing series the world has ever witnessed, the Extreme E will involve racers battling it out in all sorts of terrains. Be it the scorching heat or blistering cold; muddy, sandy or icy terrains, the racers will have to face it all. The Spark ODYSSEY 21 "Extreme E E-SUV" will be the series's competition vehicle. The vehicle is manufactured by Spark Racing Technology, the same company that masterminded the Formula E series machines.
Continental thus had a huge challenge to build a tyre or rather "tyres" that can handle these conditions and be a reliable companion for the Extreme E SUV. The new tyres developed for the Extreme E sport a specially designed tread that enhances traction and stability for a variety of surfaces, making them extremely versatile tyres. The company has really pushed the envelope and built two brand new tyres from scratch that are specially crafted for a racer's needs in Extreme E. One tyre is for summer conditions or warm weather conditions while the other is a winter tyre.
1) The CrossContact ( Summer)
- The definition of versatility: An all-terrain tyre for summers that will be utilised for tracks with sandy, muddy or dirt terrains in the series.
- Features an all-terrain pattern consisting of big blocks and an off-shoulder design, making it perfectly optimized for hot and soft surfaces like sand and gravel.
- Also has a “stone bumper feature” that helps to bump out the stones that sometimes get stuck in the tyre.
- Sports a colourful print on the sidewall which gives both a 3D effect and resembles the texture of a lizard’s skin.
Also See: Continental Showcases Digital Tyre Monitoring Solutions For Fleets At ConExpo 2020
2) The CrossContact Ice
- The CrossContact Ice is a winter tyre that is specially designed to endure freezing conditions and provide maximum traction on both snow and ice.
- Features the "ContiFlexStud." The hard metal pin achieves a higher intrusion into the ice thanks to the stud’s flexible rubber body which adapts to the road surface offering noticeably better performance on snow and ice.
- Just like the summer tyre, the CrossContact Ice also sports an impressive design with a cool icy print on the sidewall of the tyre.
A big challenge for Continental was to actually optimize these tyres not just for extreme conditions, but also for the unique requirements of a purely electric SUV. You see these electric SUVs are much more heavier than your regular SUVs and require tyres that can efficiently translate that raw torque to the ground and get them moving.
Extensive tests have been on since October, 2019 and the company has been continuously vying to make further changes to customize and better the tyre profile. Using the expertise of several motorsport athletes including the likes of Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, Continental has equipped its test vehicles with the custom made tyres and has been testing them to the limit.
The Extreme E series will be organised in cooperation with Formula E from 2021 onwards. Continental will serve as a premium sponsor of the Extreme E racing series and will be the sole tyre supplier for all the race vehicles throughout the series. The organiser, Formula E Holdings Ltd., expects at least ten teams to participate in the first year.
The following are the different stages and the dates:
Ocean Stage: from January 23 to 24 at Lac Rose, Dakar, Senegal
Desert Stage: from March 6 to 7 in Sharaan, Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia
Glacier Stage: from May 14 to 15 in the Kali Gandaki Valley, Mustang District, Nepal
Arctic Stage: from August 28 to 29 in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Rainforest Stage: from October 30 to 31 in Santarém, Pará, Brazil
