Continental launches new tyre for electric cars in Australia

Continental is the latest tyre manufacturer to launch a new range of rubber designed for electric vehicle (EV) in Australia.

Named the Continental eContact, the electric car-specific tyre has been designed to handle the different challenges electric vehicles – which are heavier than petrol cars, but need to reduce rolling resistance to maximise driving range – place on tyres.

It is the latest in a growing range of electric-car tyres from competitor brands Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Hankook, and other manufacturers.

Continental claims its new tyre has been “formulated to handle the increased weight and instantaneous torque deliver” of electric cars.

The German manufacturer claims it has addressed common complaints of electric cars, including road noise and – usually – the lack of a spare tyre.

With no engine sound or exhaust note to drown it out, tyre roar is easier to notice in EVs. To counter this, Continental says it has introduced what it dubs “ContiSilent technology”.

As well as redesigned tread patterns that have been, according to Continental, “acoustically optimised” to “block the path of sound waves and inhibit tyre noise”, the inner lining of the eContact is claimed to contain a polyether-based foam that acts as a sound-deadener.

And given the commonplace lack of a spare tyre in new electric cars – a victim of both the space and weight taken up by an EV's large battery – the eContact contains a layer of viscous sealant that the German tyre giant claims can “seal 80 per cent of punctures up to 5mm in diameter”.

The Continental eContact is available for a range of popular electric vehicles for brands such as Tesla, MG, Polestar and Hyundai.