Ground Breaking Ceremony for Continental Asia Headquarters, China Engineering Center in Shanghai, China

* One more significant milestone of the growth in China
* Total capital investment of €60 million

Shanghai, China, January 16, 2008 -- Hanover-based international automotive supplier Conti­nental AG officiated the ground breaking ceremony for Continental Asia Headquarters and a dedicated Engineering Center in Shanghai, China. “The Asia Headquarters office and China Engineering Center that we are building here will mark one more significant milestone of the growth of Continental in China with the aim to reinforce our position as a leading automotive supplier and to provide more effective and advanced technical support to our customers in the Chinese market,” said Jay Kunkel, President Asia of Continental AG. “We have traveled a long road to get to today and we are proud to mark this major step in the new journey and begin to build the exciting future that we have discussed, agreed upon and planned for over the past few years.”

Mr. Jay Kunkel, President of Asia of Continental AG and Mr. Chen Anjie, the Secretary of CPC Commission of Yangpu District laid the foundation for Continental Asia Headquarters and China Engineering Center on January 16, 2008.

In July 2007, Continental announced its plan to set up a new Engineering Center in Shang­hai. The total capital investment is €60 million. The new site in Yangpu District of Shanghai will have a 14-floor office building and a total floor space of approximately 14,000 square meters. From May 2009 on, nearly 900 employees from the Continental Group, i.e. Automo­tive (Chassis & Safety, Powertrain and Interior), Tires and ContiTech, will work from the Yangpu facility. The new Engineering Center will be composed of two facilities: one office site with design and test labs for selected electronics products in Yangpu District of Shanghai and the other one with large-scale equipment for bench testing in Jiading.

On December 5th, 2007, the international automotive supplier announced that it had formally concluded the purchase of Siemens VDO Automotive AG and is now heading into a new era by harnessing the force of two high-performance and innovative companies in the top tier of the global automotive supplier industry.

With annual sales of more than €25 billion (based on 2006 figures), the Continental Corporation is one of the top five automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for the powertrain and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, the corporation contributes towards enhanced driving safety and protection of the global cli­mate. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Today, the corpo­ration employs approximately 150,000 people at nearly 200 locations in 36 countries.

As a worldwide leading technology and systems partner to the automotive industry, the Chassis & Safety Division of Continental AG integrates extensive know-how and leading-edge quality in the fields of active and passive driving safety, safety and chassis sensorics, and chassis components. The Division achieves sales of more then €5 billion with a workforce of more than 27,000 (2006). Chassis & Safety develops and produces electronic and hydraulic brake and chassis control systems, sensors, driver assistance systems, air bag control systems, washers and occupant classification systems as well as electronic air suspension systems.

The Powertrain Division within the automotive supplier Continental AG integrates innovative and efficient system solutions throughout the drivetrain in vehicles, which increase vehicle performance and driving comfort while simultaneously lowering fuel consumption and emissions. As a partner of the motor industry, the Division produces at over 60 locations worldwide, developing a comprehensive product portfolio that ranges from gasoline and diesel injection systems, to engine and transmission controls and all the way to components and systems for hybrid drives. The division, which contains about 27,000 employees, achieved a sales volume of more than €5 billion in 2006.

Supplying both, OEMs and the Aftermarket worldwide, the Interior Division of Continental AG develops and produces electronic systems which allow the information in a vehicle to be controlled and communicated according to the requirements of the driver and the driving situation. The Division achieves annual sales of more then € 6 billion with a workforce of more than 33,000 employees. The range of products includes in­struments clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car entry systems, tire information systems, climate control systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, telematic solutions as well as cockpit modules and systems. The Interior Division develops vehicle electronics enabling car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication, Internet access and the seamless integration of mobile devices (car-to-device). The focus on systems integration offers customers less complexity and ensures efficient and cost-effective solutions for the management of information in passenger cars as well as commercial and special vehicles.

Source: Continental AG

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