· Complete diesel exhaust aftertreatment systems made of standard components

· Products and services for non-road machinery and on-road commercial vehicles

Stuttgart / Cologne / Esslingen – On December 9, 2009, Robert Bosch GmbH, DEUTZ AG, and Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG announced they have signed an agreement to set up a joint venture in the area of diesel exhaust aftertreatment. The joint venture is to be known as “Bosch Emission Systems GmbH & Co. KG” and to be headquartered in Stuttgart. The agreement is still subject to the approval of the antitrust authorities. The objective is to use the core exhaust aftertreatment competencies of the three companies involved and, on the basis of a modular principle, to offer complete system solutions for construction and agricultural machinery, as well as for commercial vehicles. These complete systems include electronic control and, if required, also optimized burner technology for the regeneration of diesel particulate filters. The new company is to start operations in January 2010. Series production will likely start in the third quarter of the year.

“We want to establish Bosch Emission Systems in the global market as a technologically leading supplier of complete diesel exhaust aftertreatment systems. As significantly stricter limits will apply to non-road and on-road vehicles in the future in Europe, North America, and Japan, demand for exhaust aftertreatment systems will increase strongly. This also applies to mobile machinery and commercial vehicles imported from the BRIC countries,” says Dr. Gerhard Turner, president of the Bosch Diesel Systems division. The target group is manufacturers of engines and machinery worldwide. The product range is tailored to mobile machinery such as excavators, wheel loaders, tractors, and combine harvesters, as well as to stationary machinery. Commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses are a further area of use.

Technologically, the concept is based on a modular principle. Drawing on a large pool of standard components, an exhaust aftertreatment system can be customized to suit any vehicle or machine. “As an engine manufacturer, we have made a name for ourselves with customized solutions. We can now contribute this application know-how to the joint venture. In this way, we are investing not only in our own products, but also in the rapidly growing market for exhaust aftertreatment systems,” says Gino Mario Biondi, management board member of DEUTZ AG responsible for technology.

In the view of the three joint venture partners, this almost exclusive use of standardized parts is a clear competitive advantage when it comes to cost as well as the time taken up by development and validation. It also ensures the necessary flexibility: individually designed tubing solutions, for example, mean that the restricted installation space in mobile machinery can be used in the best possible way.

“With this modular portfolio, Bosch Emission Systems fills a serious gap in the market. It will provide effective solutions wherever the expense of an individually engineered solution of the kind seen in large-scale series production for on-road vehicles is too high,” says Dr. Thomas Wünsche, CEO of Eberspächer Exhaust Technology.

When the joint venture starts operations, roughly 100 associates from the companies involved will be employed at Bosch Emission Systems. Engineering, sales, and administration will be based at the headquarters in Stuttgart. “Bosch Emission Systems is a distinct company, working absolutely independently of its parent companies. Right from the start, we will stand for high quality, because the associates assigned to the company have comprehensive experience and know-how relating to a very wide range of applications,” says Wolfgang Albrecht, Bosch project manager and designated managing director of Bosch Emission Systems.

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.

PI6897 - December 09, 2009