Odyssey 21, Extreme E car, has proved its quality in its first races. It’s a powerhouse not only made up of Niobium fibers and metals, but also complemented perfectly by damping and tires.
Continental Company has been responsible for supplying high-performance vehicle rubbers to the electric series, which were produced in just one year’s record time to be in tune with the beginning of the competition.
After extensive testing, developers decided on CrossContact SUV tires as the baseline, and adapted its design to meet Extreme E challenges. The company modified the tread, adapted the rubber compound and reinforced its robustness.
Related content: Story behind building the powerful Odyssey 21, Extreme E’s electric SUV
Since tires must perform consistently well on all surfaces and weather conditions, experts tested them extensively on multiple tracks and different terrains.
Working Hard
Continental accepted exclusive commitment with Extreme E and fulfilled it to be able to debut in the category. “It usually takes us two to three years to develop a perfect tire for a specific purpose with its own requirements. In Extreme E’s case, we only had half of that time. In fact, the vehicle was only available as a prototype because it was still under development,” explained Catarina Silva, Continental’s Product Management Team Leader.
She highlighted that there were major challenges in the midst of manufacturing: “Besides very tight time constraints, the heavy weight in comparison to other racing cars since, for example, a Formula E vehicle weighs only half as much. Simultaneously, torque is extremely strong, as is usually the case with electric motors.”
Satisfied with the Premiere
Extreme E’s premiere left not only certainty in the car’s strength after Claudia Hürtgen’s accident, but also tires performed beyond expectations.
Continental claimed it has exceeded the expectations of both event organizers and fans by delivering extreme accelerations, high torques and speeds. The company described the CrossContact Extreme E tires’ performance as positive.
In addition, Silva pointed out that ” the entire development process was a great experience for the entire team. We tested tire exhaustively before shipping, although there was a high stress level across the team before the first race. We are very satisfied with the performance we achieved”.
Similar Vision and Values
The Extreme E and Continental alliance is not incidental, but rather a relationship based on the same approach to environmental protection. “We quickly recognized that organizers’ vision matches our corporate philosophy very well,” emphasized Philipp von Hirschheydt, EMEA Head of Business Unit Replacement Tires.
“As a company, we pursue ambitious sustainability goals, but focus should not only be on what we do ourselves. We also want to help raise awareness of the challenges we face,” he added.
Read also: Tamara Molinaro joins Extreme E as championship driver replacing Kleinschmidt
Continental is one of the world’s leading tire producers. Founded in 1871, the multinational company is focused on manufacturing safe, efficient and performance-oriented tires for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers.
Among its fundamental objectives is to contribute significantly to safe, affordable and environmentally friendly mobility.
Written by I Jhonattan González
