HANOVER, Germany — Volkswagen A.G. has selected 18- and 19-inch versions of Continental A.G.'s EcoContact 6 summer and WinterContact TS 850P winter tires for its electric ID.3 electric passenger car, due on the market by mid-2020.
The models to be used on the four-door, five-passenger ID.3 have been adapted to suit the specific performance requirements of an electric vehicle like the ID.3, Continental said, and are built with the tire maker's ContiSeal puncture-sealing inner liner technology.
VW is offering the ID.3 with three battery options for standard (range up to 205 miles on a single charge), medium (up to 280 miles) and long-range (up to 340 miles).
With external dimensions similar to VW Golf (wheelbase of 109 inches and curb weight of 781 pounds), the ID.3 provides a vehicle interior that is larger than that in any other vehicle in its category, VW said, thanks in part to no central drivetrain tunnel.
Conti said the tires being supplied provide low rolling resistance to help deliver the maximum possible range between charges; with low tire/road noise for passenger comfort; and with aerodynamic sidewall design to help minimize the vehicle's aerodynamic drag.
The tire/wheel fitment specs are: 215/55R18 and 215/50R19.
The ID.3 is the first of at least 70 electric cars in VW's pipeline, the car maker said. It began rolling off the assembly line at a plant in Zwickau, Germany, in November, and in 2020 two factories in China will start production.
VW does not plan to sell the ID.3 in the U.S.
Continental also supplies the on-board server that provides connectivity for Volkswagen's electric ID. models.