Continental fuel pump sensors for Nano

15 July 2008

BANGALORE: German automotive electronics supplier, Continental AG, with 2007 global sales of euro 26.4 billion, will provide fuel pump sensors for the Tata Nano.

Markus Distelhoff, Managing Director of Continental-India, told reporters here on Monday, “The details are being finalised; we believe small cars, affordable and with full functionality, will drive the market in the years ahead”. The company was also involved in the hybrid car from Mercedes, likely to be launched next year, he said.

Continental opened on Monday its Rs. 220 crore electronic components plant and research and development centre.

The components made in Bangalore will be for cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers. Continental entered India in 1958 with its Yenkay brand of car instruments.

Now, for its electronic components, it will collaborate with Wipro and other IT majors. The R&D work here will also be for the North American and European markets. Jay Kunkel, President, Continental Asia, said “Stricter emission and safety norms will increase demand for electronic components in the Asian markets, led by India and China.

Independent forecasts indicate that from 2012 onwards half the cars worldwide will be made in Asia with volumes reaching 40 million units a year.

Our investments in India could lead to 20-25 per cent of our total sales in Asia, by 2015”. Continental’s expertise in powertrains, instrument clusters and electronic controls, would meet the small car markets, he said.

source:The Hindu