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28 AUTODATA ASKS » FUTURE OF THE SUPPLIERS May 2018 | AutoData By Marcos Rozen ContinentalAG CEO for North America since June 2008, responsible for coordinating the US activities of the three automotive divisions, Chassis & Safety, Powertrain and Interior. He is also Senior Vice President of the Dynamic Vehicle Business Unit and Coordinator of the Chassis & Safety Division for North America since January 2008. Previously, Salman was Senior Vice President of Purchasing for Continental’s automotive divisions in Frankfurt, Germany. He was also VP for Continental’s worldwide after-sales business, which he joined when the acquired ITT Automotive in 1998. He held many positions in global sales. He started his career at Bosch in 1989 as a product manager. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University Of Giessen, Germany. He currently lives in Michigan. Samir Salman, from Continental AG The internal combustion engine will still play an important part of mobility for the future. It will certainly be more efficient and have far less pollution. In fact, electrification is the big reason that the internal combustion engine will continue to stick around. By 2030, we expect that nearly 60% of the market would be hybrids. Continental has been on the forefront of vehicle electrification for some time now. We already have both 48V and high voltage electric motors and inverters in production for years, but the number of new products that we are working on is truly exciting. We are getting ready to launch our 3rd generation high voltage electric motor. Performance has increased by 85%, weight has decreased by 20% and cost decreased by 30%. For charging, we are working on wireless solutions that will enable fast and convenient charging and fully compatible with any charging infrastructure. No. Continental is fully embracing vehicle electrification to drive growth and profitability. Our projections show that the number of light duty vehicles sold increasing from 90 million per year today to 114 million in 2030, globally. Nearly 60% of these vehicles will be electrified. Electrifying vehicles means that the population’s mobility can grow simultaneously ensuring that we keep our environment clean. While pure battery electric vehicles will have a healthy share of the market by 2030, hybrid vehicles--from 48V to plug-in hybrids--earning a significant portion of the market. 2 3 How does Continental see the future of electrification from your business point of view? Is it possible, due to the technology used in electric cars that the volume of use of automotive systems by automakers decrease? Within the same scope, does Continental really believe that the automotive future is 100% electric? What products and systems does Continental not supply today that could provide in the future exclusively to meet production demands for electric vehicles? 1