Skip to main content

SK Innovation and Continental team up on worldwide EV power

SK Innovation and Continental Corporation have announced their intention to team up for powering electric vehicles worldwide. A joint venture is to be formed through which both companies want to develop, manufacture and market Lithium Ion battery systems for automotive applications. SK Innovation and Continental will have 51% and 49% of ownership respectively. The initial JV operations will be based in Germany and Korea; and the management team will be comprised of executives from both companies. The busine
March 23, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
4222 SK Innovation and 260 Continental Corporation have announced their intention to team up for powering electric vehicles worldwide. A joint venture is to be formed through which both companies want to develop, manufacture and market Lithium Ion battery systems for automotive applications. SK Innovation and Continental will have 51% and 49% of ownership respectively. The initial JV operations will be based in Germany and Korea; and the management team will be comprised of executives from both companies. The business will serve automotive OEMs globally. The new joint venture is subject to the completion of JV agreements, which are expected to be achieved by midyear 2012.

"We are pleased to work together in such a key technology for future mobility. With Continental's automotive expertise and SK's battery leadership, we have confidence that the JV will become the market leader in battery systems," stated Dr. Jay Koo, CEO of SK Innovation.

"The JV is ideally positioned to become a technology leader in providing battery solutions to the automotive industry worldwide because both companies are technology leaders in their areas of expertise, and both share a common strategic perspective for future mobility. Together we will be a powerful team that will work together very effectively in a promising partnership," stated Dr. Elmar Degenhart, CEO of Continental.

The JV will focus on developing Li-Ion battery systems for automotive customers. SK Innovation will supply market leading lithium ion battery cells to the JV while Continental will supply Battery Management Electronics and its overall automotive systems competence. The newly formed entity will bring together leading experiences in developing battery systems for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) and Electric Vehicle (EV) programs at leading automobile manufacturers worldwide.​

Related Content

  • July 13, 2015
    Winners in electric vehicle batteries
    According to market analyst IDTechEx, which tracks the development of 45 electric vehicle categories and not just electric cars, there are now lithium-ion battery options for everything from forklifts and mobility vehicles for the disabled to e-bikes. Indeed, almost all the e-bikes in the West and Japan use them. 8000 forklifts in the USA have fuel cells with lithium-ion batteries though the Toyota Mirai fuel cell car and the Prius hybrid car still use NiMH. Whilst capturing market in micro hybrid cars,
  • March 22, 2012
    Panasonic to supply battery cells for Ford’s hybrid and PHEVs
    Panasonic Corporation has announced that it will supply lithium-ion battery cells for Ford Motor Company's hybrid and plug-in hybrid electricvehicles (PHEVs). The upcoming models of the Ford Fusion Hybrid Electric and C-Max Hybrid Electric as well as the Ford Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrids will use Panasonic battery cells in combination with a gasoline engine
  • February 27, 2013
    Continental and BMW Group partner on automated driving
    German automotive supplier Continental and BMW Group are pooling their development capacities to define the long-term prerequisites for series introduction of highly automated driving on European freeways. The two companies have signed an agreement to jointly develop an electronic co-pilot for this purpose, with the aim of paving the way to automated driving functions beyond the year 2020. “Automated driving is a key element in future mobility. It will significantly enhance safety, comfort and efficiency on
  • December 2, 2016
    Cars reinvented: huge new opportunities and dangers, says IDTechEx
    The new IDTechEx report, Electric Car Technology and Forecasts 2017-2027 finds that the biggest change in cars for one hundred years is now starting. It is driven by totally new requirements and capabilities. They will cause huge new businesses to appear but some giants currently making cars and their parts will spectacularly go bankrupt. Cities will ban private cars but encourage cars as autonomous taxis and rental vehicles. Already 65 per cent of cars in China are bought by businesses. The Japanese wa