ITS World Congress: Continental Presents Robot Vehicles for the Mobility of Tomorrow

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September 24, 2021

Frankfurt, Germany, September 22, 2021. In October, the world will be looking at Hamburg. That’s
when the focus will be on the future of mobility at the ITS World Congress. From October 11th to
15th, this international industry platform will present innovative solutions for tomorrow’s intelligent
transportation systems. Continental will also be there as an exhibitor. The company will be
showcasing pioneering robotics technologies that can support humans in crucial areas of
application. Three so-called AMR vehicles Autonomous Mobile Robots can be experienced as
prototypes at the company’s booth: The Continental Corriere is a small delivery robot for
transporting groceries or packages in urban areas. The Continental Contadino, in turn, is an
agricultural robot that can sow, plant and fertilize autonomously. The third robot was developed for
use in intralogistics, i.e. for support in production plants or logistics centers.
“Continental’s presence at the ITS Congress shows that intelligent mobility does not just mean
transporting people from A to B,” explains Michael Hülsewies, Senior Vice President and Head of
Architecture & Software at Continental. “Innovative mobility also means meeting the challenges of
higher logistics volumes, implementing sustainable ideas for the transport and distribution of
goods, and offering smart solutions that support resource-efficient food production in agriculture.
For all these areas, robotics applications are an ideal complement to existing structures.”

Corriere – a delivery and transport robot for urban areas
The robotic vehicle most visible in tomorrow’s everyday mobility is the Continental Corriere. The
delivery robot, which weighs just under 40 kilograms and is around 30 centimeters high, is already
in trial run in Singapore. There, it transports food from a restaurant to Continental’s local site. This
allows essential experience to be gathered for later use in series production. The vehicle is ideal
for use in the so-called last mile: for transporting food, medicines or smaller packages to the end
customer. A mobility solution like the Corriere can significantly ease the burden on inner-city traffic
if people no longer have to get into their cars to buy a liter of milk, a lunch package or an order
from the pharmacy.
The delivery robot moves completely autonomously and self-sufficiently through traffic. To do this,
it is equipped with technologies that have already proven their worth in automobility. Lidar sensors
and cameras, for example, which are already used in a similar form in systems for automated
driving in passenger cars, plus self-learning software make the Corriere an intelligent participant in
the cityscape. It recognizes pedestrians and their direction of travel, crosses traffic lights and
adapts inconspicuously to the general flow of traffic. This makes the Corriere an ideal helper in the
smart city life of tomorrow. At the ITS Congress, Continental will also be presenting a central fleet
management system that can be used to intelligently operate a swarm of robot vehicles in largescale
operations.
Contadino – intelligent helper for sustainable agriculture
Continental is also developing a solution for outdoor use in agriculture. Although the Contadino is
somewhat larger than the Corriere urban delivery robot, with a maximum weight of 100 kilograms it
is still significantly lighter than conventional agricultural machines. The compact dimensions and,
above all, the low weight – plus, for example, a seeding, planting or fertilizing module with a total
weight of the Contadino of around 250 kilograms – allow the soil to be worked gently.

Soil compaction caused by heavy equipment is a problem in agriculture that can lead to declining
soil quality and thus lower yields. The Contadino works autonomously in the fleet, serving as a sort
of personal butler for each crop in the field. Thanks to an innovative satellite communication
system (Real Time Kinematics Global Networking Satellite System) and networking with weather
apps, for example, the autonomous robot can precisely target each plant to within three
centimeters. In this way, with data on soil conditions and rainfall, each plant can be fertilized
individually and yields increased in a resource-conserving manner. With the Contadino,
Continental provides a robust, reliable robotics platform with open software and hardware
interfaces for which third parties can also develop individual working modules.
AMR – an autonomously acting robot for logistics tasks in production
Continental’s autonomous intralogistics robot works more behind the scenes. Here it automates
the flow of materials in production plants, warehouses or logistics centers. The robust vehicle is
also equipped with proven technologies: lidar sensors for 360-degree detection of the environment,
3-D camera systems, intelligent software and an optional ultra-wideband transmitter for precise live
tracking of the AMR in the fleet network make the robot vehicle a valuable employee. It
independently executes transport orders, can avoid obstacles and calculate alternative routes.
Here, too, an optional fleet management system can coordinate a larger fleet of AMRs. Continental
initially designed the autonomously operating vehicle for its own benefit: Engineers at the
technology company could not find a suitable solution on the market to make the material flow and
handling of heavy product components at its own plants more efficient. “We developed a
customized robotics solution that is now very successfully integrated into everyday production at
Continental’s plants for hydraulic brake systems in Slovakia and in Changshu near Shanghai in
China. This intralogistics solution will also be offered to external customers from next year when it
is ready for series production,” says Pierre Pomper, head of the Autonomous Mobile Robots
segment at Continental.

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These Are The Features That Make The Lightning Strike Motorcycle So Galvanizing

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Electric Vehicles Magazine

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September 4, 2021

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With an impressive specs chart, let’s take a closer look at the Lightning Strike and discuss our favorite features.

Going green seems to be one of the few things that the vast majority of us agree on when it comes to the future of the motor world. With the rise of electric cars, scooters, and motorcycles, we are seeing the beginnings of a new, sustainable, and clean future for the automotive industry.

At the heart of all these green innovations is Silicon Valley. With companies like Tesla and Lightning Motorcycles manufacturing some awesome EVs here. Lightning Motorcycles is an American motorcycle company that is focused on building electric motorcycles.

Since the company was founded, it has gone on to build amazing bikes that have outperformed much of its gas-powered competition. The Lightning Strike motorcycle is one such bike; it boasts bucket loads of performance along with marked good looks.

With an impressive specs chart, let’s take a closer look at the Lightning Strike and discuss our favorite features.

The Lightning Strike Motorcycle Design

The Lightning Strike motorcycle was long-awaited before making its debut in 2019. This came after a long teaser campaign that had bike enthusiasts at the edge of their seats. This fully electric bike is designed to dominate both on and off track.

If you look closer at the Lightning Strike motorcycle, you’ll realize that it has a similar stance to the Lightning LS 218; indeed, they are actually the exact same. For a comfortable ride, Lightning Motorcycles across the board are designed with ergonomic handlebars and footpegs.

The curves on the Lightning Strike motorcycle see a fair bit of sculpting as part of the manufacturing process. This is done to allow for maximum aerodynamic efficiency hence reducing drag. If you’re looking to go for a higher trim version of the Lightning Strike motorcycle, then you can always have the Carbon Edition.

Unlike a regular Lightning Strike motorcycle, the Carbon Edition has its entire body made of, as the name suggests, carbon fiber. As a result, it’s lighter than other Lightning Strikes.

The Lightning Strike Comes With An Awesome Carbon Edition

It’s near-on-impossible to call the single best feature of this awesome electric bike, so we went with two, and our second, equally favorite feature of the Lightning Strike is how well it performs. Indeed, Lighting Motorcycles is known for its fast electric motorcycles, and this is no less true when it comes to the Lightning Strike.

The Lightning Strike motorcycle has three trims, each with a different powertrain. The first is the standard Lighting Strike. This bike is powered by a 10 kWh battery pack that has a range of 99 miles in the city and 76 on the highway. These performances are both in full charge.

The second is the mid-range Lightning Strike motorcycle that uses a 15 kWh battery pack. This one provides a range of 150 Miles in the city and 105 Miles on the highway from a single charge. The third and last trim is the most powerful, however.

This is the top-end trim that also houses the Carbon Edition. This trim is powered by a 20 kWh battery pack with a range of 200 miles in the city and 150 Miles on the highway. Again, all of this is on a single charge.

All in all, the Lightning Strike is a flashy and powerful bike that emphasizes how far EV technology has come. It’s also certainly one of the best that Lightning Motorcycles have to offer.

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Q4 e-tron series adds new all-wheel-drive model:
Q4 45 e-tron quattro now available to preorder

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Electric Vehicles Magazine

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July 30, 2021

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The Audi Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron are the first compact electric SUVs from the brand with the four rings. Following their launch in April, two new versions have been added to the range – the Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron, the model with the longest range in the series, and an all-wheel-drive version, the Q4 45 e-tron quattro – both of which are available to order now.

An intelligent drive system for powerful performance

The Q4 e-tron models do not emit any carbon on the road and combine the space and comfort of a luxury car in the compact class with a range that is suitable for everyday use. At up to 534 kilometers (WLTP), the Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron offers the most range out of all of Audi’s electric models. The new all-wheel-drive model also boasts a range of up to 490 kilometers (WLTP), making it perfectly suitable for everyday use as well. The two versions are available to order now, with the Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron starting at a base price including VAT of 49,500 euros and the Q4 45 e-tron quattro

listed at 50,900 euros.

In the Q4 Sportback 40 e-tron, the rear axle is powered by an electric motor that delivers 150 kW (204 PS). The new quattro version

uses two electric motors for its electric all-wheel drive. Together they deliver 195kW* (265 PS) of maximum power – enough for a sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h, which is electronically limited.

Carbon neutrality certified by TÜV NORD: Q4 e-tron models officially have “net-zero carbon footprint”

Audi manufactures the Q4 e-tron and the Q4 Sportback e-tron with net-zero carbon emissions – and this has now been officially confirmed through their successful certification as “carbon-neutral products” by the independent auditing company TÜV: “Audi ensures that carbon emissions along the supply chain, throughout the production process, and in logistics, among other areas, have been proportionately avoided or reduced through the use of electricity from renewable sources. This explicitly includes the production of the vehicles’ high-voltage battery.

In addition, Audi goes further by offsetting unavoidable CO₂-equivalent emissions through its support for internationally recognized carbon offsetting projects,” TÜV NORD confirms in the successful certification.

The production facility in Zwickau exclusively sources green power for production, and the battery cell suppliers are also under an obligation to only use energy from renewable sources in their production processes. Emissions that cannot currently be avoided are offset via carbon credits that fund climate change mitigation projects. These are certified by the non-profit organizations The Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard.This makes it possible to achieve complete carbon neutrality over the vehicle’s entire life cycle when it is simultaneously charged with green power during the utilization stage.

Furthermore, Audi works with its suppliers to systematically promote responsible practices in all of its vehicle projects. The company has been auditing its business partners using a sustainability rating developed in-house since 2017 in order to guarantee that production is carried out in a way that conserves resources and complies with social standards.

Convenient charging with the e-tron Charging Service

The Q4 e-tron models are extremely versatile vehicles that are ideal for everyday use. In addition to a large amount of interior space, a high level of comfort, and a range suitable for traveling long distances, drivers also benefit from rapid charging speeds. In the best-case scenario, it only takes ten minutes at a charging station to achieve a range of around 130 kilometers (WLTP).

Users of the e-tron Charging Service can now select from around 250,000 charging points in 26 European countries, including 5,841 HPC fast-charging stations. This is a huge success and a milestone when considering the fact that the charging service only launched in February 2019 with 72,000 charging points in 16 countries. Since then, not only has the number of charging points almost quadrupled, but the share of fast-charging stations has also grown significantly.

On the Transit plan, Q4 e-tron buyers do not have to pay a monthly fee for the entire first year. Moreover, they benefit from preferential terms within the IONITY network – charging costs only 31 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is roughly equivalent to the cost of charging at home in Germany. Audi owners can also easily charge their vehicles abroad without any worries, as they always pay the standard price for the country in question, depending on the charging speed – without any additional roaming fees. In other words, foreign users traveling through the country are charged at the same rates as local residents.

When looking for the nearest charging station, the myAudi app or the Audi navigation system are both helpful tools. In addition to route planning, the myAudiApp can activate supported charging points and provides information about the status of the charging station in advance. Alternatively, the charging process can also be started using the Audi charging card. Identification and billing are handled automatically in the background. In addition, the app shows the car’s current charging status.