Two new Continental tyre types, specially developed for the off-road racing series Extreme E, have made their global debut. The unveiling of these cutting-edge products follows the announcement earlier this year of Continental’s partnership with the electric racing series. As a founding partner, Continental, the premium tyre manufacturer, is set to provide tyre technology for this unprecedented rally driving competition.
The new tyres, with summer and winter tyre technology and designed for the world’s toughest driving conditions, were presented to the public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed along with the unique electric sports utility vehicle. Together, driver, car and tyres will tackle some of the most extreme locations across the globe, from the Himalayas and the Arctic to the Indian Ocean and deserts.
Karel Kucera, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa at Continental, commented: “At Continental, we pride ourselves as leaders in ground-breaking automotive technology and so our partnership with Extreme E comes naturally. With the cutting-edge tyre designs that we developed for Extreme E e-SUVs, we guarantee perfect grip for acceleration, braking and precision handling on the toughest tracks.”
All Extreme E teams must use the same set of standardised equipment, created and assembled by motorsport manufacturer Spark Racing Technology, equipped with a battery manufactured by Williams Advanced Engineering, as well as Continental tyres.
Prototype testing of the electric SUV has now begun in earnest, with substantial tyre technology contributions from Founding Partner, Continental. Each Extreme E team will receive two sets of summer and winter tyres, optimised for every conceivable facet of performance and safety required by their electric SUVs.
The race series is due to commence in 2021.