Engelhard Smog-Eating Technology To Be Featured On BMW Cars In Five States

    ISELIN, N.J.--July 18, 2002--BMW sedans equipped with Engelhard technology that enables the cars to actually destroy smog as they are driven will be available in showrooms in five states by the end of this summer.
    Engelhard's PremAir(R) ozone-destruction catalyst will be featured on BMW Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEVs) sold in California, New York, Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts. The first of these PZEVs to be equipped with PremAir are model-year 2003 BMW 325i sedans with automatic transmission.
    PZEV certification is granted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to extremely clean vehicles under the state's Zero Emission Vehicle Program. The northeast states have adopted the California program, which was established in 1990 with the goal of eventually reducing vehicle emissions to zero. PZEV cars use advanced technology to minimize their environmental impact.
    PremAir is one of the technologies approved by the CARB for PZEV credits. PremAir also is eligible for credits under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's national Low Emission Vehicle Program.
    "Engelhard developed PremAir to fill a market need," said Dr. Thomas Holcombe, director, PremAir. "Traditional pollution-control technologies stop contaminants at the source - before they reach the environment. PremAir was the first technology designed to destroy ozone already in the ambient air regardless of the source."
    PremAir is a catalytic coating applied to a vehicle's radiator that destroys up to 80% of the harmful ground-level ozone in the air that passes across it. Ground-level ozone is the major component of smog. It has been directly linked to asthma and other respiratory problems as well as to damage to vegetation.
    BMW worked closely with Engelhard to conduct extensive tests that proved the catalyst met BMW's high standards for ozone conversion, durability, cost effectiveness and negligible impact on radiator performance.
    Vehicles equipped with PremAir were first available in 2000. The technology is currently featured on several models sold worldwide. Other applications for PremAir include truck and bus radiators and commercial and residential air-conditioner condensers.
    Engelhard Corporation is a surface and materials science company that develops technologies to improve customers' products and processes. A Fortune 500 company, Engelhard is a world-leading provider of technologies for environmental, process, appearance and performance applications. For more information, visit Engelhard on the Internet at www.engelhard.com.