Continental shows smart swarm mobility at IAA
“In the last century, the needs of the automobile-oriented traffic were a particular feature of the townscape and habitats. In the 21st century, people’s needs are becoming increasingly central to mobility. In the vehicles of the future, office and living room will merge into new, individual living spaces on wheels,” explained Continental CEO Elmar Degenhart the overarching direction of the technology development.
As part of an interactive presentation, visitors to Continental’s stand at the trade show will experience how Continental imagines the safe, clean, intelligently networked mobility of the future. With the help of virtual reality glasses, visitors can experience the BEE (Balanced Economcy and Ecology mobility concept) vehicle concept. The BEE with its coordinated swarm behaviour is part of an entire mobility technology family for the urban space.
The heart of the concept is a 60 kph fast electric vehicle for urban traffic, which is operated according to the sharing model and thus operates up to 350 km each day. BEE It will later on be part of a swarm of autonomous, electrically powered vehicles of different sizes and equipment in everyday life and stand for maximum individuality. The BEE can be called to its own location via an app and can travel autonomously there.
Continental’s development platform CUbE (Continental Urban mobility Experience) also falls within the context of autonomous and electric driving. In the supplier’s scenario, such robotic taxis will play an important role in the future as a supplement to public transport. They enable seamless mobility in cities and suburbs on the “last mile” to and from public transport such as metro, railways and airplanes. Experts expect that the massive use of autonomous shuttle fleets will help to avoid many inner-city congestions. At the same time, the fully automated vehicles offer the possibility of travelling from door to door by public transport. The development platform uses a wide range of innovative technologies – from sensors to ECUs, software algorithms, tires, surface materials, brake systems and drive technologies.
In a live demonstration, Continental will present its new 3D Flash Lidar sensor. From 2020 onwards, the laser sensor will be used in new vehicles. Without mechanically moving components (and thus much cheaper than available Lidar sensors), the sensor will produce a detailed picture of the entire vehicle environment in real time. The high-resolution environmental sensor is a core component in the development of a comprehensive 3D environment model for automated driving and delivers reliable data day and night, even in adverse weather conditions.
In the context of electrification, Continental is presenting its innovations for the growing electromobility market: The new AllCharge charging technology for fast, wired charging as well as a comprehensive charging system for wireless charging. The focus will also be on 48-volt technology – not only for hybrid vehicles, but also for bicycles: At the IAA, a new 48-volt drive for e-bikes with a fully integrated continuously variable automatic transmission will be introduced to the public.
can be userd to charge the car – or to power the user’s appliances.
Continental’s electric drive train EMR3 is also highly integrated and particularly light for a large number of vehicle concepts. With this drive train, Continental is competing directly against the e-axle of archrival Bosch. The powertrain module can be integrated into new electric vehicle models. It combines the power electronics including inverter, electric motor and transmission gear in one compact unit. Continental engineers were able to reduce the weight of the drive to just 75 kilograms at 150 kilowatts. The company offers vehicle manufacturers the complete electric axle drive system in one module in various performance classes up to 300 kilowatts. The system has been in series production for several years, but Continental has succeeded in making the drive significantly more compact and powerful. The new electric drive will be launched in China in 2019.
Despite all electrification, the internal combustion engine is still undergoing further development. The primary aim is to reduce harmful exhaust gases. With its “Super Clean Electrified Diesel”, Continental undercuts even the strictest exhaust emission regulations at present. In total, a test vehicle reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 60 percent compared to a current Euro 6 diesel-powered vehicle while at the same time reducing fuel consumption by four percent today. The use of added synthetic fuels would further reduce emissions.
The third major topic at Continental’s IAA booth is the connected vehicle. In its cockpit Vision 2025, the technology company merges reality with the virtual world. With the help of high-tech glasses, stand visitors can cast a computer-designed glance into the forward-thinking cockpit of tomorrow: It adapts to the respective driving situation, changes its surfaces and lets only the control elements and displays required depending on the current driving situation appear in front of the driver’s eyes.
Connectivity also provides more convenience: a networked, virtual vehicle key on the smartphone enables an intelligent car door that opens and closes independently for entry and exit. This assistance function called Continental Smart Access (CoSmA) not only eliminates the need for an emergency lock, but also increases design freedom in the door area. Thanks to digital emergency unlocking, CoSma should be able to open and close the doors even when the car battery is empty. The door closing mechanism is also intelligent: If the vehicle sensors detect a passing cyclist or motorcyclist, the driver is warned by a light signal not to open the door too quickly.
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