DENSO Earns 2004 Climate Protection Award from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Third EPA Award for DENSO

TOKYO, April 14 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last night awarded a 2004 Climate Protection Award to the Electrical Inverter Air Conditioning Team, comprised of DENSO Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, and Toyota Industries Corporation, at the agency's annual Earth Technologies Forum in Washington, D.C.

The Electrical Inverter Air Conditioning Team developed an electrical inverter air conditioning system that provides cooling for the new 2003 Toyota Prius during "idle" stop when the engine shuts down to save fuel and emissions.

"The electrical inverter air conditioning system achieves a 40 percent size reduction and a 53 percent mass reduction over traditional electrical compressors, and a 25 percent reduction in refrigerant leakage over traditional belt-driven compressors," said Satoshi Watanabe, managing director of DENSO. "This system is an essential technology for the market expansion of hybrid and fuel cell vehicles."

This marks the third time that DENSO has been honored by the EPA. In 2002, DENSO formed part of the Water Heater Design Team (along with Tokyo Electric Power Company and Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry located in Tokyo) that was recognized for developing and marketing the world's first mass-produced CO2 refrigerant, heat-pump water heater for households. In 1993, DENSO (formerly Nippondenso Co. Ltd.) earned the honor for developing methods to convert air conditioning systems to HFC-134a, a more environmentally friendly coolant, which replaced the ozone-depleting refrigerant CFC-12.

"The Electrical Inverter Air Conditioning System Team is one of 12 individuals and organizations internationally to receive this honor in recognition of exemplary efforts and achievements in protecting the climate," said Caley Johnson, director of Climate Protection Awards, Climate Protection Partnerships Divisions, EPA. "This team has impressed all judges and EPA officials who reviewed its accomplishments."

Since 1998, 93 individuals, companies and organizations from 16 countries have earned EPA's Climate Protection Award recognizing outstanding accomplishments in protecting the Earth's climate. This year's 12 award recipients are reducing greenhouse gas emissions by formulating policies at international, national, state and local levels; by reducing corporate energy consumption; and by inventing technologies that protect the climate. They were selected by an international panel of climate experts and award winners from previous years. Each of the winners serves as an example and inspiration and will prompt others to take action to protect the climate. The winners are from Belgium, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico and the United States.

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global supplier of advanced technology, systems and components. Worldwide, the company employs 90,000 people in 31 countries, including Japan. Consolidated global sales for fiscal year ended March 31, 2003 totaled US$19.4 billion.

In North America, DENSO employs 14,000 people at 32 companies. North American consolidated sales for fiscal year ended March 31, 2003 totaled US$4.7 billion.

DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya stock exchanges in Japan. For more information, see www.globaldenso.com or www.densocorp-na.com .