Press Release
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Intelligent Sensor by Continental Diminishes
Battery-Related Breakdowns
 More and more electronic components are draining car batteries – Systems that
monitor and ensure battery function are thus becoming increasingly important
 Intelligent battery sensor permanently monitors key parameters and provides early
warning of an aging or defective battery
 Main cause of breakdowns may soon be a thing of the past
Frankfurt am Main, Germany, June 11, 2013. In 2012, according to the ADAC breakdown
statistics, the roadside-assistance crews of German automobile club ADAC had to respond
2.6 million times to one of the most nerve-wracking experiences that can befall a motorist – a
breakdown. In one third of those cases – about 900,000 times – motorists summoned the
ADAC because they could not start their cars. The reason: a dead or defective battery,
making the battery the single most common cause of breakdowns. Batteries have been
culprit No. 1 for years.
Although severe winter weather this year influenced the statistic, the main reason for
breakdowns has got to be the growing number of electrical components found in modern
cars – components that provide more safety, efficiency and comfort. Few motorists today, for
example, would think of taking a trip to an unfamiliar destination without the aid of a
navigation system. All this compounds the need to monitor batteries more closely, the only
way to ensure that motorists receive prompt notice of, say, an aging battery that is likely to
cause a breakdown.
Since 2008, international automotive supplier Continental has been making a small sensor
that can provide assistance – the Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS). “About the size of a
matchbox, our intelligent battery sensor monitors critical parameters. It can be used in
combination with any standard battery, which means that we can greatly reduce the number
of battery-related breakdowns, despite the rising number of electrical components at work in
the electrical system”, explains Dr. Lutz Kühnke, Head of the Advanced Sensors & Satellites
(ASAT) segment of the Continental Chassis & Safety Division.
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Press Release
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Small sensor, big impact – the Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS)
The IBS continually analyzes the status of conventional 12-volt lead-acid batteries and
provides information on such key parameters as the state-of-charge, state-of-function (power
ability) and state-of-health (aging) of the battery. The sensor is thus essential to reliable
operation of automotive start-stop systems. The IBS informs a higher level control unit, such
as the engine control unit, whether there is sufficient energy left in the battery, thus ensuring
that the engine can be automatically shut off and cranked again. It also supports that
electrical devices such as the radio or the ventilation fan continue to operate during the stop
phase.
The IBS is mounted directly onto the battery and fits exactly into the niche around the
negative terminal. This means that it can be deployed with any standard battery. In addition
to being able to monitor the battery, the IBS also helps to detect defective electronic
components in the car, thanks to its monitoring of the key-off current. The sensor enhances
the automobile’s diagnostic ability and can thus warn of possible breakdowns that may not
even be caused by the battery. Moreover, the IBS helps extend battery life by 10 to 20
percent via an improved charging strategy.
Engineers at Continental are working on a high-voltage current sensor for the lithium-ion
high-voltage batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles. “Whereas a battery in a car with
an internal combustion engine is relatively inexpensive, it can easily account for one-fourth of
the cost of an electric vehicle. Permanent monitoring and optimization of battery life is
therefore a must. Our high-voltage current sensor represents a ready-made solution. By
measuring the current exactly, it provides information on the charge level and protects the
battery, thanks to a separate overcurrent monitoring”, says Dr. Bernhard Klumpp, Executive
Vice President of the Passive Safety & Sensorics Business Unit of the Continental Chassis &
Safety Division.
Fewer breakdowns thanks to intelligent networking
As cars become increasingly linked, both internally and with their surroundings, drivers will
experience fewer and fewer breakdowns. Vehicles will be able to recognize more and more
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Press Release
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defects themselves and will report those defects to drivers in timely fashion – via the
instrument cluster or via an app on a smartphone. Drivers can then make an appointment
directly with a garage and the garage can make sure that the necessary spare parts are on
hand. The end result is fewer frazzled nerves and greater safety on the road.
With sales of €32.7 billion in 2012, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide.
As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis,
instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers,
Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an
expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately
173,000 employees in 46 countries.
The Automotive Group with its three divisions Chassis & Safety (sales of approximately €7.0 billion in
2012, 34,500 employees), Powertrain (sales of approximately €6.1 billion in 2012, 31,000 employees)
and Interior (sales of approximately €6.4 billion in 2012, 33,000 employees) achieved sales of
approximately €19.5 billion in 2012. The Automotive Group is present in more than 170 locations
worldwide. As a partner of the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, it develops and produces
innovative products and systems for a modern automotive future, in which cars provide individual
mobility and driving pleasure consistent with driving safety, environmental responsibility and costefficiency.
The Chassis & Safety Division develops and produces electronic and hydraulic brake and chassis
control systems, sensors, driver assistance systems, airbag electronics and -sensorics, washer
systems and electronic air suspension systems. Its core competence is the integration of active and
passive driving safety into ContiGuard. The Powertrain Division integrates innovative and efficient
system solutions for vehicle powertrains. The comprehensive range of products includes gasoline and
diesel injection systems, engine management, transmission control, including sensors and actuators,
as well as fuel-supply systems and components and systems for hybrid and electric drives. Information
management is at the very heart of the Interior Division, which provides a range of products that
includes instrument clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car-entry systems,
tire-monitoring systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, climate control systems,
telematics solutions and cockpit modules and systems.
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Your contact:
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Press Release
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Contact for Journalists
Sören Pinkow
External Communications
Continental
Division Chassis & Safety
Guerickestraße 7
60488 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Phone: +49 69 7603-8492
Fax: +49 69 7603-3945
soeren.pinkow@continental-corporation.com
Vincent Charles
Spokesperson, Innovations & Technology
Continental AG
Vahrenwalder Str. 9
30165 Hanover, Germany
Phone: +49 511 938-1622
Fax: +49 511 938-1016
E-mail: vincent.charles@conti.de
Online Media Database: www.mediacenter.continental-corporation.com
www.continental-automotive.com
www.continental-corporation.com
Your contact:
Soeren Pinkow, Phone: +49 69 7603-8492