· Potential even for strictest exhaust emission limits

· More than 33 million systems produced in 10 years

· Every second new passenger car in western Europe has a diesel engine

STUTTGART – The Bosch Group plans to increase sales of its common-rail diesel direct injection technology by nearly one-fifth to more than eight million systems in 2007 (from 6.8 million last year). Bosch alone has equipped more than 33 million passenger-car and commercial-vehicle engines with this technology since 1997. "With common-rail technology and exhaust-gas treatment, we will also be able to comply with the future Euro 5 and Euro 6 exhaust emission limits," said Dr. Ulrich Dohle, president of the Bosch Diesel Systems division, on the occasion of common rail's tenth anniversary. Compared to 1990, pollutant emissions of diesel passenger cars have been reduced by 95 percent and more. And fuel consumption has decreased by more than 30 percent in the same period. Thanks to Bosch technology, many commercial vehicles already comply with the emission standard that will apply from 2008.

Ten years ago, Bosch was the first company to put a common-rail system for passenger cars on the market. The first vehicles to feature the technology were the Alfa Romeo 156 JTD and the Mercedes-Benz 220 CDI. "With its improved performance and higher torque, common rail gave the diesel engine a new image. At the same time, we were able to considerably reduce consumption, noise, and emissions", Dohle said. In conjunction with turbocharging, the injection system has helped the diesel engine achieve a breakthrough. Meanwhile, every second passenger car in western Europe is a diesel. Ten years ago, diesel's share was only 22 percent. Last year, 44 percent of all newly registered passenger cars in Germany had a diesel engine, and this figure is set to rise further.

The system is an example of the advanced technology used in modern vehicles. The name "common rail" is a reference to the high-pressure accumulator, or rail, from which the fuel is injected into the cylinders via the injectors connected to it. Bosch will have produced a total of approximately 150 million of these injectors by the end of this year. All together, the company manufactures common-rail technology at 15 sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Even the emission limits set by California, which are the world's most demanding, can be met using common-rail technology. Several automakers in the U.S., Europe, and Japan are starting a diesel drive aimed at the U.S. market. Bosch expects the market share of diesel-powered passenger cars to increase from its current level of approximately six percent to 15 percent in 2015. The diesel engine's main selling points compared with a modern gasoline engine are the more than 30 percent reduction in fuel consumption it offers, as well as the fact that it emits approximately 25 percent less CO₂.

The "clean diesel" may become established even faster in the Asian emerging markets. The motor for this development is emission standards that can only be fulfilled with electronically controlled high-pressure injection technology. This year, Bosch will sell a good 100,000 common-rail systems in both India and China. By 2013, it is likely that there will be some 1.3 million such systems in each of these countries. At present, just one-fifth of the company's total production of high-pressure injection systems is for the markets in Asia and the Americas, but by 2015 this figure will be nearly 50 percent.

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The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 275,000 associates generated sales of 38.2 billion euros in fiscal 2009. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros for research and development, and applies for some 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.

PI5833 - May 11, 2007