Continental tests tires for commercial e-vehicles

Global vehicle tire specialist Continental is testing tire designs for medium- and heavy-duty hybrid and electric vehicles at its Contidrom tire testing facility in Germany.

While electric commerical vehicles are still in the earliest stages of commercialization, electric drives for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, buses and vans are experiencing a significant development push in applications such as local public transit and freight transportation. Together with vehicle manufacturers and technology companies, Continental said it is working on tire solutions to meet the special challenges and requirements e-vehicles pose.

Continental said it is currently performing test drives at the Contidrom, the company’s benchmark tire testing facility in Germany, with an electric truck from Futuricum, a specialist for electric commercial vehicles, The vehicle has been in trial use by logisitics provider DPD Switzerland in regional traffic since March.

Futuricum is the brand of Designwerk Products AG, a Swiss company specializing in converting commercial vehicles to electric drive, along with development of mobile fast chargers and modular battery systems.

Hybrid or all-electric powertrains are typically heavier than conventional engine-driven systems and deliver more torque to the ground when starting off or accelerating. This, along with low rolling resistance, are key challenges for tires.

The Futuricum vehicle is based on a Volvo FH truck that has been converted to an electric vehicle by Designwerk Products. The 19-ton truck powertrain is rated 680 hp and has a capacity of 680 kWh, using what is reportedly the largest truck battery in Europe that allows an unloaded range of up to 760 km (466 miles) without freight.

“The vehicle has been on the road in Swiss regional traffic since the beginning of the year and is currently rolling on tires of the Continental EcoRegional product line,” said Hinnerk Kaiser, head of Tire Development Bus and Truck Tires at Continental. “The combination of Conti EcoRegional HS3 and HD3 already enables high mileage and extremely low rolling resistance and thus offers the essential characteristics for the economical operation of electrically powered commercial vehicles.”

The current test series are about increasing efficiency even further, Continental said. The focus is especially on extending the range by reducing rolling resistance. In addition to the original tires, new prototypes are used for direct comparison. The specially manufactured prototypes were manufactured in Hanover-Stöcken, at the central location of research and development for Continental’s premium tires, using a robotic carving process and refined by experienced tire carvers, the company said.

Continental already has experience developing electric vehicle tires, as it engineered its Conti e.MotionPro prototype tire for MAN’s CitE electric truck.

“As with all electric drives, the tires for the Futuricum Logistics 18E are exposed to higher torque during start-off and acceleration,” Kaiser explained. “At the same time, the weight and weight distribution of the tractor are increased by the particularly powerful battery. Therefore, the tires must not only have a low rolling resistance, but also withstand heavier loads than tires for comparable vehicles with internal combustion engines. At the same time, they should last just as long and meet the same safety requirements as truck tires for conventional drives.”

Balancing the conflicting goals, especially mileage, braking and handling performance, at an ever-higher level is technically demanding. The concept tire development is intended to significantly shorten the development time regardless of existing tire generations, Continental said.

DPD Switzerland is a private express and parcel service provider in Switzerland that handles more than 24 million parcels annually. The Futuricum Logistics 18E, ordered at the beginning of 2021, is expected to drive at least 80,000 km (49,000 miles) per year.