Conti enters lithium-ion battery partnership

Continental has announced it is partnering with lithium-ion battery specialist Akasol Engineering in order to develop the next generation of lithium-ion technology for electric vehicles. The two German companies’ work centres on a scalable battery concept that allows for modular expansion to accommodate vehicles of varying size. The batteries under development will also utilise a fluid cooling system that uniformly cools all parts of the unit, an action that enhances battery performance, vehicle range and service life.

“Together, we have combined the innovative and efficient battery technology of Akasol Engineering with our many years of experience with series applications for the automotive industry to develop a superb series production product”, said Bernd Neitzel, head of Continental’s Hybrid Electric Vehicle Business Unit, part of the company’s Powertrain Division. Akasol Engineering managing director Sven Schulz added: “This development will enable us to satisfy the high market demands in terms of reliability, safety, performance and cost faced by product developments in the electromobility sector.”

According to Bernd Neitzel, prototypes of this battery technology are already being trialled under “demanding road conditions” in a Continental test vehicle. The technology Conti and Akasol are developing is expected to be adaptable to suit a wide range of vehicle concepts and applications, from compact cars to city buses and trucks that are deployed in urban low-emission zones and therefore have to drive largely or exclusively under electric power.