Cars & Autos | Tuesday 17 March, 2020 3:15 pm |

• Continental special tyres for the E-racing ODYSSEY 21 race car   
• Tyre developers and test drivers are working under time pressure
• The racing series launches in January 2021
• Second race to be held in Saudi Arabia

 

In January 2021, a spectacular new off-road racing series will be launched under the name "Extreme E", bringing professional motorsport with electric SUVs to the remotest corners of the earth, including one of the Middle East’s most unique destinations, Al-‘Ula in Saudi Arabia. Continental is a founding partner and exclusive tyre supplier.
 

It has been more than a year since the collaboration was made official. Participants still have nine months to overcome the extraordinary challenges by the first start. "By the time the event calendar was officially presented, every interested party realised that they are part of a completely new and unique project," says Sandra Roslan, who is responsible for the Extreme E project at Continental. “And the schedule is tight. Unforeseen delays will be almost impossible to make up for."

 

On January 22, 2021, the starting signal for the so-called Ocean stage will be given between a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Atlantic Ocean. On the banks of Lac Rose, not far from the Senegalese capital of Dakar, a series of races will begin which organisers hope will make motorsport an ambassador for climate protection. By choosing routes close to threatened habitats, the Extreme E racing series aims to raise awareness of climate change among motorsport fans worldwide, as well as politicians, residents and local authorities at the venues, and encourage them to step up their efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

 

"From then on, things really take off," says Roslan. “In March 2021, we´ll start in the desert of Saudi Arabia, in May in the Himalayan mountains. Not only must the tyres function on a completely new vehicle, but also on extreme courses in vastly different climatic environments."

Considering that the development of a new tyre for conventional cars generally takes three to four years, it is clear the kind of challenges the tire developers at Continental have to overcome. "The ODYSSEY 21 is an extraordinary vehicle which is roughly similar to commercial SUVs in length, width and weight, but with its electrical equivalent of 550 HP has three times the torque of the Formula E Gen 2 vehicle," says Roslan.

 

The intensive test phase has been underway since October last year. For this, Continental is relying on people like Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. The Swedish motorsport athlete has successfully competed in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, and is the only woman so far to have won races in this series. The test vehicles are equipped with a custom-made model based on the successful Continental CrossContact series model.

 

From now until the start of the first race, it is a matter of tailoring the profile as best possible to the various extreme challenges. With the aid of ContiPressureCheck technology, tyre data such as air pressure and temperature are also displayed for drivers on a screen in the cockpit during the races. The vehicles will be handed over to all teams in August.

 

Extreme E is organised in cooperation with Formula E. From 2021 onwards, Continental will be a premium sponsor of the Extreme E racing series. The technology company will equip all vehicles in the races with tyres for the different and very demanding situations. The organiser, Formula E Holdings Ltd., expects ten teams in the first year. The following dates are planned:

 

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

 

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2019, Continental generated sales of €44.5 billion and currently employs more than 240,000 people in 59 countries and markets.

 

The Tres business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tyre manufacturers with around 56,000 employees and posted sales of €11.4 billion in 2018 in this business area. Continental ranks among the technology leaders in tyre production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special vehicles, as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research & development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the Tyres business area includes services for the tyre trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tyres