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the parking structure itself; this is so capable that only 4 inches of space are required between the vehicle's side-view mirrors and other objects)—there are some 43,000 people, not all of whom, of course, are pursuing this tech, but a non-trivial number who are. What's more, Nikolai Setzer, a member of the executive board and who has the Tire Division under his purview, notes that in addition to developing tires for existing applications (e.g., WinterContact TS 860 S, winter tires for performance vehicles that offer short braking distances even in snowy conditions), they are undertaking the development of "concept" tires. For example, there is "ContiSense," a system 26 Although Continental doesn't make vehicle batteries, it does make a wide array of associ- ated gear for hybrid and electric vehicles, including electric motors, converters, and even tubes for cooling systems. Consequently, battery developments are something that they keep their eye on as they can have ramifications of their range of products. Dr. Elmar Degenhart, chairman of the executive board of Continental, says that they're fairly certain that in the not-too-distant future the lithium-ion battery of today will give way to a solid-state battery. "The differentiator," he says, "is that the electrolyte is no longer liquid." As it will be a solid, that's where the "solid-state" comes from. Why is this important? "It has the potential," he answers, "to double the energy density compared with a lithium-ion battery." This energy density has a range of benefits. For example, it is possible to reduce both the mass and the volume of a battery by half. Which also means that there can be a price reduction, moving to below €100 per kilowatt hour, Degenhart says. He points out that if the price of the batteries gets to €80.60 per kilowatt hour, then a 75-kWh drive train "can be comparable in terms of cost to a diesel engine." Batteries to Go Solid State Continental's Dr. Elmar Degenhart COVER STORY