Continental AG’s Thermal Management Solution will enhance vehicle efficiency in electric or hybrid cars in future

Germany: German car manufacturing and technology innovation company, Continental AG has announced to work on high-performing thermal management to support future emission regulations, in the Global Future Mobility Conference 2018 held in Hangzhou. The future electric cars or hybrid cars face a major challenge, due to climate change in summer or in winter since the electric energy for heating and cooling is taken from the battery, which reduces electric range in the vehicles. The new Thermal Management solution will compensate this range loss to a large extent. Thus, this solution will positively drive the automotive thermal management market in forthcoming years. Future electric cars or hybrid cars, the most pivotal trend in automotive sector, face a major challenge in the electric range. In order to support heating and cooling, in winter and in summer, respectively, the electric energy is taken from the battery of these electric cars. As a result of this the range might decline by as much as 40% at -10 °C. In light of this problem, Continental AG plans to design a Thermal Management solution that consumes cross-divisional know-how to compensate this range loss to a large extent and govern the requirement for heating and cooling within the electric vehicles in a better energy-efficient way. The components of Thermal Management (TM) form a flexible modular set which permits it to shift thermal energy flows for heating or cooling to wherever they are required while preventing any energy loss. The solution will offer new multi-port valves, Coolant Flow Control Valves (CFCV), which help to adaptably shift cooling and heating circuits in such a way that it routes available cold or heat to the right places.   According to BlueWeave Consulting, global automotive Thermal management market is expected to increase significantly in the forthcoming years, owing to development of electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, coupled with stringent government regulations to reduce emissions from automotive vehicles. The future electric & hybrid vehicles require a thermal management to protect the energy loss that in turn hampers the range of these vehicles. Moreover, increasing demand for heated and ventilated seats in the US, Germany, and the UK creates demand for battery thermal management.  Thermal Management is becoming more relevant to all type of vehicle types because it increases efficiency and thus helps to attain core development, including reduction in CO2 emissions. However, the critical challenge to Thermal Management is the electric vehicle where the emphasis is on growing range even during cold or hot ambient temperatures. Hence, the demand for Thermal Management is constantly increasing for future electric vehicle since there are many separate spots, including battery motor(s), and power electronics which need either cold or heat as per the operating condition.