Continental Wins 2019 AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award for Intelligent Door System

• Smart autonomous door that opens and closes automatically increases user convenience
• Anti-pinch protection, intelligent door brake system and obstacle detection improve safety
• Super Clean Electrified Diesel with lower emissions and consumption comes in second place​​​​​​​

Frankfurt, July 11, 2019. Continental has won the 2019 AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Award in the category "Most Innovative Automotive Supplier Interior and Interface". The technology company's intelligent door system was named one of the most innovative projects in the automotive industry in the competition held by the Center of Automotive Management (CAM). Continental's solution not only increases drivers' comfort but also their safety. Thanks to the state-of-the-art technologies such as the intelligent door braking system and the smart autonomous door, opening and closing doors is more convenient as well as safer, since doors are prevented from slamming shut. Continental also came second in the category "Drive" with its Super Clean Electrified Diesel, a technological solution that reduces fuel consumption and thus also CO₂ emissions.

Helmut Matschi, member of the Continental Executive Board and Head of the Interior division: "The recognition of our intelligent door system and thus of our innovative prowess is a source of great pride for us, but it also drives us to further increase the comfort and safety of all road users."

Professor Dr. Stefan Bratzel, Director of CAM and jury president adds: "We are witnessing the biggest transformation in the history of the automotive industry. The car as a product is changing like never before. In this key phase, German automobile manufacturers are proving to be highly innovative. And they need to be. New players, especially from China, are ramping up the competition. They have made great strides in catching up technologically and are preparing to take over as innovation leaders."

By coupling PASE, Continental's solution for keyless access and starting of the engine, with the power door control function, Continental has created an intelligent touch-free door system that enables doors to be opened and closed automatically, at the right time and on the relevant side of the vehicle. This is an important function, especially given the trend toward driverless vehicles, as they must be able to open and close their doors, even without operators or door handles.

The door brake system's anti-pinch protection and automated obstacle detection also prevent users from getting their fingers caught in the door and vehicles being damaged. Another advantage lies in the system's variable gap angle: doors open smoothly in any position without catching and can be safely stopped in any position.

The Super Clean Electrified Diesel is a Continental research vehicle that is proving that “super clean” diesel is possible. Specialists at Continental equipped a production vehicle, which complies with the Euro 6b emission standard, with Continental technologies that are already available, enabling them to reduce its nitrogen oxide emissions to such an extent that it now remains well within future limits of not just the required emissions tests but also of real driving emissions (RDE), i.e. in everday use. In independently led test drives, the vehicle's average NO_X emissions were only 11 mg/km in urban traffic and 46 mg/km over the entire distance. By way of comparison, the NO_X limit in the RDE cycle is 168 mg/km under the new Euro 6d-Temp standard, which will fall to 80 mg/km under Euro 6d in 2020. The test limit is 80 mg/km. Aside from reducing NO_X emissions, the specialists also succeeded in reducing CO₂ emissions by 10 g/km.

For more than ten years now, CAM has been identifying the most innovative companies in the automotive industry. In collaboration with PwC, it presented the AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Awards for the eighth year running. The awards were presented in Frankfurt.