High-Quality Technology to Infiltrate Low Price Vehicles

FRANKFURT, GERMANY (Aug. 25, 2007) - Bosch sees excellent growth perspectives on the market for low price vehicles (LPVs), whose net prices are below $9,500. With an expected sales annual growth rate of 5 percent, this segment is developing twice as fast as the overall car market. By 2010, Bosch expects that LPVs will have a 13 percent share of the car market worldwide. Sales of LPVs are expected to increase especially rapidly in China and India, where half the market for LPVs will be concentrated in the future. 

"Those who want to participate in this strong growth as suppliers will have to be prepared for the new requirements - both technically and with regard to prices," explains Wolf-Henning Scheider, president of the Gasoline Systems division at Bosch. With the Value Motronic as an especially cost-effective control unit platform for gasoline engines with two, three, or four cylinders and intake-manifold injection, he adds, Bosch already offers solutions for LPVs today. The supplier's objective is to achieve a leading market position with its gasoline injection systems in this promising segment by 2010.

Scheider says that Bosch will leverage its comprehensive know-how in injection systems for gasoline and diesel engines to introduce innovative yet cost-effective solutions. New flex fuel systems from Bosch also allow gasoline engines to run on biofuel - an important aspect for the South American market. On the other hand, the Indian market requires clean diesel engines. In addition, operation with natural gas is becoming more important in Russia. To address the broad range of needs, Bosch's NG-Motronic engine management system enables engines to run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas (CNG). 

The challenge lies in developing low-cost solutions with modern technology. These solutions can be brought about in a variety of ways; for example, by simplifying certain standard products, by adapting products from other vehicles like motorcycles to the requirements of the passenger car, or by developing new components intended specifically for LPVs. This includes not only the Value Motronic as a new control unit platform for gasoline engines, but also the new ZSK 2x2 Value ignition coil, which was developed on the basis of the compact coil platform. 

Despite the 40 percent reduction in the required installation space, developers have succeeded in generating variable ignition energies within the same ignition coil housing. This is a requirement for spark-ignition engines, which are operated with various fuels - from gasoline to ethanol to natural gas. In addition, the new ignition coil offers an option that enables the correct assignment of the cylinders in the control unit. In simple engines without camshaft adjustment, there is then no need for the phase sensor otherwise required.

When developing cost-effective solutions for LPVs, Bosch benefits from the its worldwide network, which promotes close and optimized cooperation between the development sites, which are called "centers of competence." As a result, technical solutions can be specifically tailored to meet a customer's requirements and regional needs. In China, for example, Bosch has pooled its development competence for value and low price components for gasoline systems, in South America for Flex-Fuel systems for gasoline and ethanol operation, and in India for diesel injection components.

(Source: Robert Bosch GmbH)