Continental is aiming to start producing lithium-ion batteries this year, becoming the first automotive supplier to do so.
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“It won’t be hundreds of thousands of units a year, but it will certainly be a few thousand,” Continental’s chairman Manfred Wennemer told auto motor und sport magazine.
Lithium-ion batteries are expected to become increasingly important in hybrid and electric vehicles, as they can store more energy than current nickel-metal hydride batteries, giving vehicles greater range. The major technology challenge so far has been that they can overheat and explode.
Wennemer said that the Continental batteries are safe enough for use in vehicles. He would not say which manufacturer would use the batteries, although General Motors has awarded Continental a contract to develop lithium ion batteries for its electric drive system known as E-Flex. However, GM has said that series production would start in the next decade, rather than this year.
