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(Mr. Turboman, I think you'd find this very exciting.. )
BOXBERG, Germany -- Robert Bosch GmbH has a contract to supply diesel-hybrid technology to a European automaker.
The German parts maker expects the system to be on the road by 2010, said Rolf Leonhard, Bosch's executive vice president of engineering for diesel systems, during a press event here today.
"It would be the benchmark in fuel consumption achieving CO2 emissions below 100 grams per kilometer," said Leonhard.
For the diesel-hybrid program, Bosch will supply the electronic controller for the diesel engine, and the electric motor and its controller, a spokesman said.
Bosch's contract signals a change in attitude among automakers in Europe. Until recently, automakers and suppliers have said that a diesel hybrid powertrain would be too expensive for the market.
But increased pressure by lawmakers to cut carbon dioxide emissions may have helped change attitudes.
Automakers are under pressure from the European Union to reduce CO2 emissions to 130g/km by 2012 from a current average about 160g/km.
The world's largest supplier and its European customer have a chance to beat PSA/Peugeot-Citroen to market with a diesel-hybrid model. The French automaker has said it wants to launch a diesel-hybrid version of the Peugeot 308 lower-medium car by 2010.
Leonhard said Bosch also is bidding to supply its diesel-hybrid technology to the PSA model. The executive declined to name Bosch's customer but he did say that the model will compete in a different vehicle segment than the Peugeot 308.
Starting next year, Bosch will supply its gasoline-hybrid technology to models from Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche.
Bosch ranks No. 1 on the Automotive News Europe list of top 100 global original equipment suppliers with original equipment sales of $28.40 billion in 2005.
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