Continental Launches Production of Lithium-Ion Battery

HANOVER and REGENSBURG, Germany, March 3 /PRNewswire/ — The
international automotive supplier Continental will launch first-time volume
production of a high-performance lithium-ion battery for hybrid vehicles at
the end of the present year. It will be used in the Mercedes S 400
BlueHYBRID. “This marks an important breakthrough for Continental as
supplier of battery systems. In the next few years we will be launching
production of further lithium-ion energy storage devices for mild- and
full-hybrid and electric-powered vehicles,” says Continental Executive
Board member Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

Lithium-ion technology is viewed as the key to the success of the
hybrid and electric drive systems in motor vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries
have a higher energy density, and thus a wider range, than those based on
conventional nickel metal hybrid technology. The power output of the
battery determines the overall performance of the vehicle as well as the
potential for lower emissions and for possible fuel savings. In so far it
also has a significant role to play in reducing CO2,” explains Dieter
Rogge, head of Continental’s Powertrain division, which has developed and
will supply ultramodern and innovative technology.

Aside from the lithium-ion battery, Continental also supplies the
inverter and the DC/DC converter for the Mercedes S 400 BlueHYBRID. The
inverter controls the flow of energy between the electric motor and the
hybrid battery. The DC/DC converter is the link between the hybrid battery
and the vehicle’s standard electric system and thus makes possible the
elimination of the conventional generator.

Already since the mid-90s Continental has been developing components
like power electronics, electric machines and energy storage devices for
hybrid drives. As the world’s sole hybrid system supplier not tied to an
auto manufacturer, it has, since 2003, been mass producing a mild hybrid.
With the hybrid battery pack the company sets new standards in getting
eco-friendly hybrid technology onto to the market faster and at a more
attractive cost.

With targeted annual sales of more than EUR26.4 billion in 2008, the
Continental Group is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a
supplier of brake systems, powertrain and chassis systems and components,
instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and
engineering elastomers, the corporation contributes to enhanced driving
safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent
partner in networked automobile communication. Today the corporation
employs approximately 150,000 at nearly 200 locations in 36 countries.

This boosts performance and enhances riding comfort while reducing
consumption and emissions. As partner to the automotive industry, the
division develops and produces a wide-ranging product portfolio at over
sixty locations worldwide, beginning with gas and diesel injection systems
and engine and transmission controls and extending through to components
and systems for hybrid drives. Based on fiscal 2006 the Division posted
sales of around EUR5 billion with a workforce of approximately 31,000 at
present.

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SOURCE Continental AG