Aumovio bets on China to lead global mobility shift

Continental has chosen China as the stage to unveil the new brand of its automotive group sector, underscoring the country's central role in the future of mobility.

Aumovio is set to become independent in September, with an IPO to follow soon after.

"Shanghai has now clearly emerged as one of the most important (auto shows)," said Philipp von Hirschheydt, member of the executive board of Continental and CEO of the automotive group sector, in an interview with China Daily during Auto Shanghai 2025.

"There is no other market which is moving as fast as the Chinese automotive market," said von Hirschheydt, who is now at the helm of Aumovio.

The name Aumovio combines elements of the company's mission: "au" for "automotive," "mo" for "mobility," and "i" and "o" for "innovation".

"The name brings together three key ideas: automotive, mobility, and innovation," he said. "That's how our Aumovio came."

While Aumovio aims to serve global markets, China is at the center of its near-term strategy.

"We've been in China for 30 years, and we have a great team here," said von Hirschheydt. "I also see (this launch) as a tribute to China and a recognition of the key role this market plays within our global organization."

He said the Chinese market now reports directly to him, reflecting its strategic importance.

He emphasized ongoing efforts to give the local team more autonomy, noting the need for faster decision-making in a market where development cycles are shorter.

"You cannot have long discussions and reaction time while dealing with someone somewhere in Germany. You need to be able to decide on the spot," von Hirschheydt said.

Still, safety remains a non-negotiable global standard. "Now we are one of the biggest braking and safety suppliers in the world," he said.

"Our goal is to achieve zero fatalities in traffic, followed by zero injuries, and ultimately zero accidents … Safety is a global standard that we uphold everywhere."

Aumovio is focusing on four key technology areas: safety, autonomous mobility, vehicle architecture and networking, and user experience.

In autonomous driving, the company is collaborating with local partner Horizon Robotics and showcased the "Luna" and "Astra" driver-assistance systems at the show.

While the initial focus is on China, von Hirschheydt said these solutions are intended to become part of the company's global offering.

"We are going to develop our products all here," he said. "The long-term ambition is to do everything here and to get only global platforms which we roll over and then apply to different customers."

Von Hirschheydt believes Aumovio can support Chinese automakers going global, citing the company's global R&D and manufacturing footprint.

"We do know regulation in the entire world," he said. "We have local teams everywhere in the world … Only if your partner is successful, you can be successful on your own."

On global trade tensions, he noted that Aumovio's long-standing "local-for-local" production strategy helps minimize the impact of tariffs.

"We are strong advocates of barrier-free trade," he said. "It enables economic growth, drives innovation, and benefits consumers around the world."