The Mission Efficiency record shows range gains increasingly coming from tyres and aerodynamics, easing pressure for bigger batteries
Continental has detailed the tyre behind Volkswagen’s Mission Efficiency world record, a concept version of its EcoContact 7 with rolling resistance of 4.9kg/t, about 25% under the EU label’s class A threshold. On it, the ID. Polo-based car used 7.51kW/h per 100km, with charging losses, on a 1,278km run from Wolfsburg to Vienna.
Rolling resistance absorbs about a fifth of an electric car’s propulsion energy, so trimming it extends range without a bigger battery. The drive, certified in August 2026, needed one charging stop and ended with 164km left.
Continental also cured different zones of the tyre at different temperatures during vulcanisation, cutting tread losses more. Staggered tread blocks cancel some rolling noise, which is more audible in electric cars.
The ID. Polo already rides on the EcoContact 7 as standard, and Continental worked alongside Volkswagen’s car and aerodynamics teams from early in the project. That suggests tyre makers are being drawn deeper into electric vehicle development.
In a statement, Christian Strübel, Continental’s rolling resistance specialist for car tyres, said: “The record shows that increasing the range of electric cars does not necessarily require larger batteries. Significant opportunities lie in the successful interaction of all vehicle components.
“Tires make a crucial contribution. Together with Volkswagen, we’ve demonstrated what’s possible when vehicle, aerodynamics and tire development are aligned from the very beginning.”
Source: Continental
