German automotive manufacturing giant Continental is building a $110 million plant to manufacture advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in New Braunfels, Texas, US.The 215,000-sq-ft facility will significantly expand production and research capabilities for vehicle safety functions in vehicles, which has grown significantly in the last decade. Construction on the new plant is to begin in the first half of 2020 while production is slated to start in 2021. The new plant is expected to retain 450 jobs and create another 130, adding to Continental’s nearly 19,000 employees in the US.
For drivers, ADAS, including systems such as emergency brake or blind spot assist, help prevent accidents and are expected to provide even greater assistance in the future, alongside constantly-improving tyre technologies.
Samir Salman, CEO of Continental North America, said having a facility “specifically dedicated” to the development and production of ADAS technologies is a “major step in helping us achieve our vision of a world with zero fatalities, injuries and crashes.”
Meanwhile, Continental is building at a 320,000-sq-ft site in Seguin, Texas, which will add space for production and innovation in support of its “Vision Zero” accident-reduction goal, according to Amit Kapoor, Head of the ADAS business unit for Continental North America.