Continental Launches Production Of Lithium-Ion Battery

Continental Automotive Systems announced that it 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," stated Continental Executive Board member Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

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.