Built in six months, the car is compliant with all the safety regulations of a production vehicle and features 40 of the German manufacturer’s own electric vehicle components, including some which are already in production. Continental said it had covered over 6,000 miles of on-road testing, and that the systems required much less high-voltage wiring and connectors than most EVs, saving weight and cost.

The vehicle is propelled by the same 95bhp electric motor fitted to the Renault ZOE and Renault Fluence Z.E, with power supplied by a 154kg lithium ion battery. This combination offers a range of 96 miles with no loss of interior or boot space, boosted by the use of Conti.eContact electric vehicle specific tyres on 20-inch aerodynamic wheels.

It also previews the manufacturer’s latest on-board charger, which allows the battery to be recharged in two and a half hours, and a new 30% smaller single-gear transmission and differential unit which works as a parking brake and includes the power electronics and electric vehicle controller.

To maximise range, Continental has developed a fully configurable instrument cluster which shows energy flow, state of charge, traffic conditions and the remaining range as a radius. Its throttle pedal provides more resistance at low battery charge to encourage more efficient driving when the range is low, and the new electronic braking system works with the generator to determine when to use mechanical braking and when to regenerate energy to charge the battery.

Continental has no plans to launch the vehicle as a production car, but most of the systems showcased will be transferred into forthcoming production models from other manufacturers.

Continental CEO Dr. Elmar Degenhart, said: ‘All the know-how that has flowed from all five of our divisions demonstrates that Continental has the technologies and systems expertise for electric cars. This is particularly significant as electrification of cars is becoming more and more of a reality.’