HANOVER, Germany—Continental A.G. will present its latest smart connectivity technologies under a theme of "zero accidents, zero emissions and zero stress" at September's Frankfurt Motor Show IAA.
In the past year, Continental has invested more than $3.3 billion in research and development for new mobility, according to Chairman Elmar Degenhart, who added that the goal was to "develop new technologies that are both environmentally efficient and socially accepted.
"Our alternative drive systems and Continental technologies for automated and autonomous driving, as well as for the connected car, are the key ingredients for a healthy mobility ecosystem," Degenhart said.
Among current advances, Continental won over vehicle makers in China and Europe with the performance of its electric axle drive, which weighs less than 80 kilograms and includes an electric motor, transmission, power electronics, and motor control.
The integrated module eliminates the need for many cable connections and plugs, thereby reducing the weight of electric vehicles by around 20 kilograms, according to the company.
In the field of autonomous driving, it pointed to the EZ10 shuttle bus from the French company EasyMile. This employs a Continental radar system that can monitor the vehicle environment within a range of more than 650 feet.
"With this data, the system adapts its driving strategy, avoids obstructions and therefore prevents dangerous traffic situations on the route ahead at an early stage," Continental said.
The company also flagged up a project to develop a first worldwide 5G solution for a vehicle OE: combining fifth-generation mobile communications with technologies for short-distance radio to enable vehicles talk to each other more effectively.