Continental Tyres is a Founding Partner of Extreme E, marking the global manufacturer’s first motorsport sponsorship.
Extreme E showcases the capabilities of e-mobility in the most inhospitable environments. For Continental, the championship offered a chance to test materials in extreme environments and become a leader in the development of sustainable technologies.
In its second year of partnership, Continental launched its most sustainable tyre ever, the Extreme E CrossContact, and developed a tyre management strategy which challenges the usual approach.
With only 30 tyres provided to each of the 10 teams for the entire Season, the CrossContact requires careful tyre management tactics, which save substantial waste and transport emissions.
The application of old PET bottles and a new silica material created from rice husks, a waste product from agriculture, pushes the boundaries in tyre technology ahead of plans to integrate the new technology into volume production of various Continental premium tyres later this year. A closely intertwined network runs through the partnership between Continental and Extreme E, with Rosberg X Racing (RXR) driver Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and RXR founder Nico Rosberg as ambassadors for both parties, taking a hands-on role in production and testing advice. To bring the partnership to maximum visibility to fans, a ‘Continental Traction Challenge’ was developed as part of Extreme E’s sporting format.
Continental’s partnership with Extreme E is a fantastic example of a major manufacturer adapting to match the purpose driven mission of the championship in which it operates and boosting its industry reputation as a result.
