As part of a strategic partnership, Continental has developed a highly efficient tire for Renault Group‘s innovation teams with up to 35% lower rolling resistance than required for the EU tire label’s top A rating. For a vehicle with a battery range of 500km, this translates to approximately an additional 30km of range per charge – roughly the distance from Paris to Versailles.
The starting point for the tire was Continental’s EcoContact 7, which was then adapted to Renault Group’s requirements. The tire maker combined a specially modified tread compound with a customized sidewall design and an optimized tire construction.
Dr Christian Strübel, a Continental expert on the rolling resistance of car tires, said, “Together with Renault Group, we are improving the efficiency of its new electric vehicles. Our tailor-made tires have very low rolling resistance, which significantly increases range.”
Rolling resistance
Around 20% to 30% of a vehicle’s energy consumption, regardless of drive type, is due to rolling resistance. The lower the rolling resistance, the less energy is lost through natural deformation and friction as the tire rolls along the road. This is especially important for electric cars, where lower rolling resistance directly reduces energy consumption and can help extend driving range. At the same time, tires play a critical role in vehicle safety – they are the only points of contact between the vehicle and the road. The friction generated between the tire tread and the asphalt provides the grip required for effective braking and stable handling.
“Extremely low rolling resistance is key to enhancing the range of electric vehicles. With Continental, we have a strong partner by our side: thanks to our long-standing collaboration in original equipment, we can jointly develop solutions that have the potential to deliver real added value for our customers,” said Nicolas Champetier, VP Innovation at Renault Group.
Virtual development
Continental and Renault Group used state-of-the-art virtual development and testing methods in their joint work. A key element was Continental’s driver-in-the-loop simulator, which enables tire characteristics to be evaluated and optimized under realistic driving conditions at an early stage of development.
Renault Group’s Roads driving simulator was also integrated into the process, digitally replicating real-world driving conditions and enabling reproducible testing in a virtual environment.
By combining the capabilities of both systems, test scenarios could be seamlessly replicated and development processes accelerated. The use of such methods improves development efficiency and reduces the need for physical test tires.
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