CONTINENTAL CONTINUES TO UPGRADE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON ITS TEST TRACKS

Continental expands the electric vehicle charging infrastructure at its three company-owned test sites in Arvidsjaur (Sweden), Jeversen (Germany) and Uvalde (USA). This investment sees the premium tire manufacturer continuing to systematically align its in-house development and testing capacities towards electric transportation and its specific requirements. The charging infrastructure at the tradition-rich Contidrom proving ground in Jeversen near Hanover underwent significant expansion. The Contidrom is located very close to Continental Tires’ global R&D center.

First electric vehicle tire tests performed more than a decade ago
Continental has been putting its tires through their paces at the Contidrom proving ground for around 55 years, employing a range of innovative technologies that are considered pioneering in the tire industry. The first electric vehicle tire tests at the Contidrom took place more than a decade ago. With the rise of electric transportation over the years, the number of electric vehicle tire tests has also increased.

The extensive tire tests that Continental performs sometimes require hours of uninterrupted driving on different sections of the track such as the wet or dry handling courses, so it’s vital that the electric vehicles can be quickly recharged. This year will see a new transformer station go online at the Contidrom that will supply enough energy for eight additional twin rapid charging stations – so converted to kilowatts, this equates to a maximum available charging capacity of more than 2,000 kilowatts.

Current Continental tires already fulfill the stringent requirements of electric cars
Continental has upgraded its entire tire portfolio in line with the requirements of electric and hybrid vehicles to achieve ever lower rolling resistance, low rolling noise and long service lives – with zero compromises on safety. By the end of 2022, the company had implemented around 450 homologation projects for customers and their electric vehicles. Nine of the world’s ten highest-volume manufacturers of electric vehicles depend on the outstanding technological expertise of the premium tire manufacturer as their original equipment manufacturer.

www.continental.com