DENSO Develops World's First 1800-Bar Diesel Common Rail System with Piezo Injectors

Reduces Harmful Emissions, Yet Produces More Engine Power

TOKYO, June 9 -- DENSO Corporation has jointly developed with Toyota Motor Corporation the world's first 1,800-bar diesel common rail system with newly developed piezo injectors*. This system is installed on the Toyota Avensis, available in Europe since May.

"A key challenge with diesel engines is reducing NOx, PM and other harmful substances in the exhaust gas, which is something we have to do to meet increasingly rigorous regulations," said Hiromi Tokuda, managing officer in charge of DENSO's Powertrain Control System Group. "Our 1800-bar common rail diesel system with piezo injectors will help us continue to contribute to cleaner diesel engine emissions, while providing higher performance for consumers."

DENSO's current 1,800-bar common rail diesel system achieves the world's highest fuel injection pressure, performing up to five high-accuracy injections during each combustion stroke. The new system uses highly responsive piezo injectors to attain a shorter injection duration and realize a finer fuel atomization spray, resulting in improved combustion performance.

As a result, Tokuda said, the system generates more engine power and reduces harmful emissions, such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). Compared to a solenoid injector, this piezo injector, with its DENSO- developed highly reliable piezo element, reduces the minimum injection interval from 0.4 milliseconds to 0.1 millisecond, the shortest interval in the world.

DENSO also supplies a filter (cordierite DPF material) and an exhaust fuel addition injector that injects fuel into the exhaust pipe to burn PM collected in the filter. Both products are installed in the DPNR (Diesel Particulate NOx Reduction) system, which purifies exhaust gas, of the Toyota Avensis.

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global supplier of advanced technology, systems and components. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company employs 104,000 people in 31 countries and regions, including Japan. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005 totaled US$26.2 billion. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.globaldenso.com. In the Americas, DENSO employs more than 15,000 people at 33 companies with consolidated sales totaling US$5.4 billion for the above fiscal year.

*For high-resolution images of DENSO's 1800-bar common rail diesel system components, contact Goro Kanemasu by email: goro_kanemasu@denso.co.jp.