Germany’s Continental has shifted its hose plant in Qingdao, China, to the Qingdao Sino-German Ecopark in Shangdong province. With a total investment of EUR30 million and an area of approximately 84,000 sq m, the plant produces hoses and mobile fluid system solutions for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The new plant is also committed to integrating global resources and capabilities to facilitate structural upgrade for China’s local automotive industry and regional economic development based on the needs of the country’s automotive market.
In order to meet energy conservation and environmental protection requirements of the automotive industry in recent years, Continental has introduced in Qingdao technologies including advanced air conditioning hoses using new refrigerant HFO-1234yf, lightweight cooling water hoses suitable for electric vehicles and GPF hoses meeting the National IV standards, bringing professional mobile fluid solutions to new energy vehicle manufacturers.
Meanwhile, with the existing production lines, the new plant will produce core products such as cooling system lines, air-conditioning hoses, oil lines, turbocharger lines, exhaust system GPF lines, etc. for segments such as air-conditioning lines, air induction and exhaust system lines, heating/cooling lines, engine and drivetrain, etc. for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles, and provide design, R&D and production of products from hose lines to thermal management systems, offering systematic solutions for conventional and new energy vehicles.
Song Qi, Head of Continental’s division ContiTech in China: “Thanks to the cooperation opportunity created by the business-enabling environment in Shandong, we will continue to invest in the Qingdao plant in the next few years. We plan to build our Technology R&D Centre for hoses in the new Qingdao plant next year, developing it into the largest automotive hose line production site in China, which will play an exemplary role in leading China’s manufacturing development and stimulating the vitality of the automobile makers and realise Continental’s commitment to the Chinese market.”