Milestone at Continental Teves: 50-millionth Electronic Brake System

    MORGANTON, N.C., May 2 Continental Teves today celebrated
a very special milestone -- the production of its 50-millionth Electronic
Brake System (EBS).  The ceremonies took place at its headquarters plant in
Frankfurt, Germany, where the success story began in 1984 when the first Anti-
lock Brake System (ABS) rolled off the assembly-line.  The story has continued
to this day and the milestone was observed by the Division's 11,000 employees
at its facilities around the globe, including the Morganton, NC plant.

    Over the years, the units have become smaller, lighter and more powerful.
In 1984, ABS was regarded as exotic and the exclusive domain of luxury class
vehicles.  Some 17 years later ABS has become standard equipment in many
markets of the world.  A first-generation ABS, the MK II, weighed about 11.5
kilograms (25 lbs.), including actuation equipment.  Today's model, the MK 60
weighs in at just over two kilograms (4.5 lbs.), although numerous extra
functions like Traction Control System (TCS) and Electronic Stability Program
(ESP) have been added.  At 4.5 lbs., the MK 60 is the world's lightest
electronic braking system.

    In addition to the Morganton, N.C. facility, Continental Teves produces
Electronic Brake Systems in plants in: Frankfurt, Germany; Mechelen, Belgium;
Shanghai, China; and Hamakita, Japan.  The company produces an EBS somewhere
in the world about every two seconds.

    Installation Rates Rise

    The rates of new vehicles with Electronic Brake Systems has grown
tremendously in the last few years.  Whereas 58 percent of all vehicles in
Europe were equipped with EBS in 1998, as many as 72 percent are expected to
be equipped in 2001.  For 2005 Continental Teves forecasts a European
utilization rate of 82 percent.  In North America, the installation rate on
new vehicles during 2000 was 68 percent and is forecast at 76 percent for
2005.  The rate in Japan is similar to that of Europe.  The Electronic
Stability Program (ESP) is mainly responsible for this increase.  Every major
automotive manufacturer in the world has come to rely on the products of
Continental Teves.

    Classic ABS upgraded to include additional functions

    In the seventeen years since the original unit was manufactured, ABS has
been upgraded with numerous supplemental functions.  The original MK II was
limited solely to effecting a targeted reduction in braking pressure to one or
more wheels to prevent them from locking; the MK IV model introduced in 1989
included a Traction Control System (TCS).  With TCS the vehicle's wheel
sensors can detect incipient wheel spin when a vehicle starts up or
accelerates.  If the wheel is moving faster than it should be for the
prevailing vehicle speed, the electronic control issues a command to brake the
corresponding wheel.  At the same time the electronic control device transmits
data for the desired values to the electronic engine control system so that
the engine speed is throttled accordingly to attain optimum force
transmission.

    ESP: A most valuable element in active vehicle safety

    ESP, which Continental Teves developed to production readiness in 1998,
has become standard equipment in many vehicle classes.  It adds yaw-rate
control to the existing braking and acceleration features of ABS and TCS.  In
operation, ESP observes the movements of a vehicle around its vertical axis
and exerts a stabilizing influence where necessary.  The device constantly
evaluates the data measured by the steering wheel angle sensor, the wheel
speed sensors, the lateral acceleration sensor and the yaw-rate sensor.  This
enables it to compare the driver's intentions with actual vehicle behavior.
In fractions of a second the system recognizes whether the vehicle is likely
to skid and intervenes by applying the appropriate braking force to each
individual wheel as a means of stabilizing the vehicle.  Data is also sent to
the engine control to command changes in engine speed.

    In Europe, some safety experts are already calling for ESP to become
standard equipment.  At a recent safety seminar in Sweden, a representative of
the Institute for Motor Vehicle Safety of the Central Association of German
Insurers (GDV) said, "ESP must become for active safety what safety belts and
airbags are for passive safety."  Further, in the German Federal Ministry of
Transport, there are plans to call upon legislators to write vehicle dynamics
control systems like ESP into law as mandatory standard equipment.  In the
U.S., the NHTSA has said in conjunction with the Static Stability Factor
ratings (rollover ratings) that "it is reasonable to assume stability control
will help drivers use the available traction to stay on the road in
circumstances that would otherwise result in panic-driven errors and roadway
departures."

    From the chassis to the road

    Today, Continental AG has bridged the gap between EBS and the road.
Wheels and tires are becoming active and intelligent components of an
integrated chassis system.  Continental's chassis and tire experts developed
the Sidewall Torsion Sensor (SWT), which is capable of determining the forces
at work between the vehicle and the road directly on the basis of tire
deformation.  The data provides valuable information for the current control
systems ABS, ASR and ESP, but also for innovative developments like Adaptive
Cruise Control (ACC).  Electrohydraulic Brakes (EHB) and Electromechanical
Brakes (EMB), two versions of "brake-by-wire," also provide more comfort and
added safety by providing shorter stopping distances and virtually silent
operations.  Production of these systems is slated to get under way in 2003.