Vitesco electrifies Continental’s powertrain business
The change from Continental to Vitesco is expected by the end of the year, led by CEO Andreas Wolf. It is now pushing ahead with preparations for a partial IPO, possibly un 2020, depending on the market situation.
The business areas of the company will be further developed, in particular with regard to local and global emission targets. In addition to its business with combustion engines, the company also operates the entire future business with hybrid and electric drives as well as all ongoing battery activities. The company regards itself as a technology leader in the electrification of drive systems. As one of only a few system suppliers, it can provide the complete electrification of the powertrain from a single source – from 48V systems to integrated hybrid concepts in transmissions and axles to pure electric drives including power and charging electronics as well as battery management systems.
Continental has made a key contribution to the Jaguar I-PACE and saw €11bn revenue in 2018, of which around €2 billion was accounted for by electric mobility.
For the future, Vitesco CEO Andreas Wolf expects a mix of several drive technologies. The new company intends to focus on electrification. However, the product range will also include the electrics and electronics of advanced combustion engines as well as battery electric drives and fuel drives. Synthetic fuels will also play a role, Wolf said.
“In the medium term, we will optimize mass transportation by providing exhaustive support for mild and full hybrid solutions. And we are already developing the next generation of electric drives for the CO2-free mobility that will be necessary in the long term and are preparing technologies for CO2-neutral hydrogen-based fuels, whether in fuel cells or as synthetic fuels in engines. With regard to the environment, we are pursuing a clear goal: “By electrifying and optimizing combustion engines, we want to help halve CO2 emissions by 2030,” says Wolf.
The new company is divided into three business units that operate independently. The two Continental divisions Engine Systems and Transmission have merged to form the new “Engine & Drivetrain Systems” (E&DS) business unit with the aim of strengthening their portfolio and at the same time increasing their efficiency. Its product spectrum ranges from engine and transmission controls to injection systems, turbochargers and exhaust aftertreatment.
Continental’s existing Sensors & Actuators and Fuel & Exhaust Management units were also merged to form the new Powertrain Components (PTC) division. Its portfolio includes fuel delivery units, catalytic converters and SCR metering systems as well as sensors and actuators for all types of vehicles and drives. The strategic growth area Hybrid & Electric Vehicle (HEV), which comprises all central components for drive electrification in hybrid and electric vehicles, remained unchanged.
The company counts all major automobile manufacturers among its customers. It has more than 50 production and development sites in all relevant market regions and employs more than 42,000 people worldwide. The drive business is still controlled from the headquarters in Regensburg (Germany).
The spin-off and the possible partial IPO of the Powertrain business is part of Continental’s comprehensive organizational restructuring in response to the far-reaching changes in the automotive industry. The future Continental Group will comprise the three divisions Rubber Technologies, Automotive Technologies and Powertrain Technologies.
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