Brake even: Continental Teves working on safety solutions beyond ABS - Supply Side

Automotive Industries,  Nov, 2002  by Andrea Wielgat

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Safety is more than just ABS and traction control.

It's also stability control, rollover protection and technology to shorter stopping distances--all things Continental Teves is working on developing.

"This technology does help prevent accidents," says Bill Bozyra, president of Continental North American operations, "and at the end of the day saves lives."

Continental's Electronic Stability Program (ESP) helps maintain stability and prevent rollovers. It is currently on the market on a number of vehicle platforms and uses ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control and active yaw control to help drivers maintain control of their vehicle.

Continental is now working on ESP II--the next generation of ESP.

This system uses all the features of the ESP but adds electric steering control to prevent oversteer and understeer as well as correct steering errors. It also monitors the state of the vehicle every seven milliseconds to gage the intent of the driver. The ESP will automatically correct to keep the vehicle on its path.

The whole system reduces braking distance and steering effort on a variety of surfaces, Continental says. It also has a broader and easier to control stability range.

Additionally, ESP is used in Continental's new anti-rollover protection (ARP), which anticipates a vehicle rollover and applies individual brakes to straighten the vehicle before it flips, the company says. In a dangerous driving situation, the ESP applies the front brake. The slip at the braked wheel reduces lateral force capability to reduce understeer. The vehicle will then turn in the direction of the roll.

But the technology requires the ESP system, which is popular in Europe. Now Continental is working to develop ARP that can be used with ABS systems, since most vehicles in the U.S. are sold without ESP.

Further down the road is Continental's 30-Meter Car project, which stops a vehicle in 21 percent less distance in a panic situation. Current technology stops an average vehicle going 62 mph in 140 ft. The 30-Meter Car project stops it in 98 ft (30 m) uses electro-hydraulic braking, airsprings, adjustable shock absorbers and optimized tires.

"We believe safety should be a standard," Bozyra says, president of North American operations. "We would consider this as must have technology."

Part of having this technology as standard is educating consumers about how it works. Continental admits ABS consumer education was done poorly and the ESP education needs to be executed much better.

"This technology is too good not to be understood by consumers," Bozyra says.

DATA

Expected evolution of supplier profitability in the U.S. (PBT%)

                       1999  2000  2001  2007  2012

System integrators     5.6%  4.9%  0.8%  4.8%  6.9%
Technology satellites  5.1%  2.9%  1.7%  7.1%  9.6%
Process satellites     7.5%  7.5%  1.6%  5.2%  5.7%

Note: Table made from bar graph

Expected evolution of supplier profitability in the EU (PBT%)

                       1999  2000  2001  2007  2012

System integrators     5.9%  3.9%  3.0%  3.3%  5.2%
Technology satellites  6.7%  5.5%  3.5%  5.1%  7.4%
Process satellites     8.1%  6.9%  5.0%  6.1%  7.1%

Note: Table made from bar graph

COPYRIGHT 2002 Reed Business Information
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