Engineers and materials experts at Continental Tyres have developed a new racing tyre model made from about one-third recycled and renewable materials.
Silica, obtained from the ashes of rice husks (a waste product from agriculture) is being used in the production of tyres. In addition to reprocessed steel and carbon black, Continental Tyres is using polyester yarn made from recycled polyester PET bottles to produce the tyre carcass – the first time this has been done for an Extreme E tyre.
Conventional polyester has been fully substituted in the CrossContact Extreme E tyre and the technology will be integrated into the volume production of various Continental Premium Tyres later this year.
Sandra Roslan, who supports the Extreme E racing series at Continental Tyres, is confident that the tyre developers’ efforts will also have an effect on the future of conventional tyres.
“With Extreme E, we test our latest technologies and developments under particularly extreme and unique conditions. These results help us introduce sustainable solutions for our volume production,” Roslan said.
The second-generation CrossContact Extreme E tyre will be used in all five races of the 2022 season and is optimised for maximum performance in all climate zones and terrain conditions.
“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,” says Nels von Schnakenburg, technical manager for Extreme E at Continental Tyres.
Extreme E brings electrically-powered vehicles to the most remote corners of the world, in an effort to raise awareness about climate change among motor racing fans.
For more than 150 years Continental Tyres has been a leader in creating world-class innovations using advanced technologies. It is pursuing the goal of becoming the world’s most advanced tyre company in terms of ecological and social responsibility by 2030. By 2050, the company intends to use 100 per cent sustainably produced materials in its tyre products and achieve complete carbon neutrality along its entire value chain.
For more information, visit: www.continental.com
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