ZF, the German component manufacturer, and Continental Group announced that they will jointly develop and produce hybrid drives on commercial vehicles. ZF will be responsible for the integration of the hybrid system, which will use a hybrid drive from ZF to pair with a lithium-ion battery and system electronics from the Continental Group.
The Continental Group stated that after the cooperation with ZF, the Continental Group intends to start production of hybrid commercial vehicles in the spring of 2011 based on the lithium-ion battery technology used in the Mercedes S series production.
Continental Group began mass production of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles from the end of last year. The Group's Powertrain Systems Division invested more than 3 million euros in the establishment of a production line in Nuremberg. The company’s lithium-ion batteries, including hybrid technology, will be installed as standard on the new Mercedes-Benz S400 Blue HYBRID hybrid. Due to its innovative technology, this six-cylinder luxury car consumes only 7.9 kilograms per 100 kilometers. Litres of carbon dioxide emissions per kilometer fell to 190 grams.