Tires are set to get wider, communicate more efficiently and respond to road conditions, innovations fueled by autonomous and EV development. It’s difficult to get emotional about tires except when they literally – let’s down. But tires are set to become wider, communicate more efficiently and respond to changing road conditions. Each of those will play a part in meeting the requirements of autonomous and – electric car development. They’ll be wheels which look after themselves and supply exceptionally supported driving, stated Dr. Philipp Struck, Continental Tire’s head of tire line development. Mobile data will be crucial as we become more autonomous and induce more EVs.
Rims that automatically adjust the width to attain the best tire footprint for specific conditions is now the subject of extensive joint research between tire and road wheel producers. Focus can be on AV systems which could comprehend tire punctures, source nearby replacement/repair, vector to the essential merchant for the required work and after that recommence the programmed travel without participation of the occupants. Continental uses the acronym CASE to list divergent mobility needs in the tire business. Trends include care free tires, increased comfort requirements and the shift in ownership to usership fleets. EV tires need to deliver success in the load capability together with decreased rolling resistance to increase range.
EVs might weighs up to half-a ton over a regular ICE propelled vehicle, Struck explained. Which means the demand for greater inflation pressure, causing a possibly greater wear rate.
An EV’s capability to produce the maximum torque from the stop is especially challenging for stop and-go shipping usage. Obviously a large, narrow wheel cannot be put on an electric vehicle as an afterthought, Struck said, noting there are currently 139 tires dimensions and specifications for EV and hybrid automobiles. We’re in constant interaction with producers to find out what’s needed. And definitely, top of our list of criteria is safety, constantly safety.
Continental’s latest EcoContact 6 crosses fitments from the Fiat Panda to BMW’s X5, with diameters from 13- to 22-in., and section widths from 145 to 315 mm. Conti asserts 15 percent less lowering rolling resistance, 20% better wear and 6/2% better wet/dry braking functionality in contrast to the previous gen EcoContact 5. It also asserts its latest Green Chili chemical helps decrease CO2 impact. And car H11 Led headlight bulbs are integrated into headlamp housing above the tires. The next generation of Continental tires include asymmetric ribs and sipes, with additional silica content and an optimised polymer network to improve the bond between silica and rubber. Other goals include a higher silicon content for reduced tire deformation and more accurate slat groove ratios. Coupled with reduced rolling resistance. Confirmed OE EV applications comprise the Mercedes Benz EQC, Porsche Taycan and fitments for VW, Fiat, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Kia.
Two Continental technology – ContiSense and ContiAdapt – provide continuous monitoring of tire conditions and adapt performance characteristics to the road conditions.
ContiSense involves electrically conductive rubber chemicals that permit tread thickness and carcass temperature information to be transmitted from a detector in the tire. Penetration of the tread by a foreign item will cause a warning before the pressure begins to be lost. Continental plans to further enhance the system’s capability to read the road surface conditions, such as snow and temperature. With ContiAdaptcompressors are incorporated in the wheel to adjust not only the tire pressure within a width rim, but the dimensions of the contact patch.
Four combinations can be found: wet, uneven, slippery and normal. Low rolling resistance is accomplished on smooth roads with the tire at elevated pressure, added traction on slippery surfaces when pressure is lowered to increase the contact patch. For handling a stretch of black ice, pressure can only be reduced to 1.0 pub. Complementing this technology is a Continental concept tire which has three-dimensional tread zones for three surface conditions: wet slippery and dry. Like tire pressure and rim diameter alter, the tread zones along with the tire footprint stinks. Continental considers its technology in R&D as promising solutions, for EV and AV applications.
Will there be a portion of compromise in tire design? “yes”, said Struck, otherwise we’d just have a single specification!.
