All tires manufactured by Continental today are considered suitable for electric vehicles, says the brand. All tires going forward will bear an “EV-compatible” logo

Continental Tires, one of the world’s leading tire manufacturers, says all of its passenger tire lines in the Canadian market are compatible for use in electric vehicles.

Going forward, Continental will make it official with a new label on all of its tires: “EV-Compatible.” The logo emphasizes Continental’s product strategy moving forward for electric cars, says the brand. The logo will appear on the sidewall of every tire sold in Canada.

“We are convinced that there is no one tire for all-electric vehicles. This is why we have…optimized our entire tire portfolio for this drive type,” says Enno Straten, head of strategy, analytics and marketing for Continental Tires EMEA in a press statement.

“Our customers can count on the fact that tires from Continental are always the right choice — and, of course, that applies to electric vehicles too.”

The first Continental Tire to see the EV- compatible marking will be the PremiumContact7.

“We are planning to release the tire into the market in 2024 but exact launch dates may vary,” says a spokesperson for Continental in an email to Electric Autonomy.

Continental says there is increasing demand for its tires in the EV segment with a higher market share compared to combustion vehicles. In 2022, the company’s tires were original equipment on several EV manufacturers’ cars, including: Tesla, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, BYD and Ford.

Continental Tires is part of Continental AG, a German auto parts manufacturer. The company’s global tire sales in 2022 increased by 18.6 per cent compared to the previous year. Its sales exceeding $20 billion (€14.0 billion), according to Continental’s 2022 Annual Report.

Developing EV-compatible tires

Continental says it is working on enhancing efficiency, reducing energy consumption and improving the sustainability of its tires. This was in the works well before EVs were mainstream.

The company’s line of tires already meets the needs of EV drivers who require low rolling resistance, reduced noise levels and high service life while prioritizing safety. However, Continental emphasizes that these technological advancements also benefit conventional vehicles.

For example, one of Continental’s long-term focuses is to optimize the rolling resistance of its tires.

“The general rule is that lower energy consumption is sustainable — regardless of the type of drive system. In the case of electric vehicles, better energy efficiency leads to longer ranges; in the case of vehicles with internal combustion engines, it leads to lower fuel consumption and thus lower CO2 emissions,” says Continental.

Reducing rolling resistance of tires can lead to less energy consumption. This extends an EV’s range by about three to four percent, according to Continental.

Additionally, the tires include technology such as high load indices (allows for a higher load capacity) and ContiSilent, which helps reduce rolling noise inside the cabin.

Introducing sustainable tires

Continental’s commitment to sustainability and innovation includes development of tires made with renewable or recycled materials. The company has set a target to use 100 per cent sustainable materials in its tire products by 2050.

Continental’s current line of tires contains 15 to 20 per cent renewable or recycled materials. These include waste products from agriculture like ash from rice husks, dandelion rubber, recycled rubber and PET bottles.

Last year, Continental also unveiled its concept tire the Conti Urban, which contains almost 50 per cent renewable and recycled materials.

The Conti Urban tires can also be retreaded — a process that replaces the old tread of the tire casing with a new one. This will extend the service life of the tire and increase the share of renewable and recycled feedstock to over 90 per cent.

Continental says Conti Urban “has been designed specifically for electric buses and delivery vehicles of the future.” The tire includes technology that significantly reduces road noise. This is particularly noticeable in EVs, as they are quieter than traditional gas-powered vehicles.

The Conti Urban is greenlit for road use. Continental says “the prototype is set to be trialed with customers in the near future.”