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IMPCO Heavy Duty Natural Gas Engine Management System

8 July 1998

IMPCO Alternative Fuel System Featured in Natural Gas Truck Demonstration; Vehicles Demonstrate Significant Advantages Over Conventional Diesel Trucks

    CERRITOS, Calif.--July 8, 1998--IMPCO Technologies Inc. Wednesday announced that its heavy duty natural gas engine management system is being featured in a three-year program designed to encourage companies in Great Britain to invest in cleaner-burning engine technology.
    The performance trials, designated "Powershift" by the British government, commenced in 1996 with the use of compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) beginning in October 1997, in trucks for food deliveries within the greater London area. IMPCO is working in collaboration with the Perkins Engines Co. Ltd., one of the world's most technically advanced suppliers of complete gas fuel systems.
    Robert Stemmler, president and chief executive officer of IMPCO, stated: "The performance trials highlight the significant advantages of utilizing IMPCO's electronic air and fuel management system and natural gas over conventional petroleum-based systems.
    "We believe this program will further demonstrate that alternative fuels provide a viable economic solution to the world's energy and pollution problems. In the coming years, more and more vehicles, including trucks, urban fleet vehicles such as taxis, buses and passenger cars, will be running on alternative fuels because of their increased efficiencies, plentiful supply and relatively lower cost," stated Stemmler.
    Starting in 1997, BOC Distribution Services (British Oxygen), in partnership with Perkins and ERF Ltd., a U.K.-based heavy duty truck manufacturer, have operated a fleet of LNG powered 32-ton articulated trucks which have been in service with Marks and Spencer, delivering chilled food supplies in London.
    "The LNG truck engines are much quieter than conventional diesel trucks, which is proving to be a big advantage in crowded urban centers such as London, where many of the deliveries to Marks and Spencer's stores take place at night," Stemmler added.
    He noted that one of the major objectives of the BOC and Marks and Spencer LNG truck program has been to demonstrate the economic viability of the trucks in demanding everyday service. Based on the results to date, the trucks have exhibited excellent fuel economy, drivability and performance, while at the same time have produced much lower exhaust emissions than conventional diesel trucks.
    "These results are due, in large part, to the advanced IMPCO electronic engine management system, which continuously measures the air and natural gas admitted to the engine and then precisely controls the air fuel ratio to optimize engine performance and emissions," Stemmler said.
    As a result of the success of the LNG truck demonstration program, Perkins and ERF have been working with other customers to put additional CNG and LNG trucks into regular service. In addition to the programs in the United Kingdom, CNG trucks by ERF with Perkins' engines have started operation in regular service in Belgium.
    In recognition of the accomplishments of the LNG truck program, BOC and Marks and Spencer have recently been awarded the prestigious Millennium Award for advanced new environmentally friendly technology.
    IMPCO Technologies sells alternative fuel products and services worldwide. With headquarters in Cerritos, the company has additional facilities in Irvine, Calif.; Detroit; Seattle; Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; Mexico; Australia; the Netherlands; France; Germany; and the United Kingdom.
    IMPCO is a market leader in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) marketplace and aftermarket for gaseous fuel management systems and components that allow internal combustion engines to operate on clean gaseous fuels such as propane and natural gas. IMPCO provides conversion systems for motor vehicles, forklifts, other material handling equipment, and small portable to large stationary engines.
    IMPCO Technologies' World Wide Web address is http://www.impcotechnologies.com.

    Certain matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from current trends. These include growth of the alternative fuels market, competition, the company's ability to design and market new fuel management products, the company's ability to meet OEM specifications, and other such risks as cited in the company's 1997 annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.