Bosch Develops Compact Sensor to Monitor Car Battery Performance

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Aug. 29, 2005 -- Bosch has developed an electronic battery sensor (EBS) designed to monitor a battery's current and future performance levels which prevents vehicle breakdowns associated with depleted and near-depleted batteries. This technology will be available on an OEM production vehicle in 2006.

By measuring the temperature, current and voltage, Bosch's EBS system is used to determine the condition and capability of a car's battery. This data, transmitted through a LIN interface, works in conjunction with a car's energy management system. This information can be used to ensure enough battery energy is preserved to guarantee a car starts every time it is turned on, even after long periods of nonuse. Further, information generated by the sensor also can help optimize alternator and engine functions, allowing for lower fuel consumption, less exhaust emission and a prolonged battery life cycle.

Equipped with an electronic chip and measurement shunt, the EBS technology is contained within a compact assembly unit that is directly connected to the pole niche of a vehicle battery. This provides a unique space-saving and cost-effective design.

The Bosch Group is a leading global manufacturer of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology. In fiscal year 2004, approximately 242,000 associates generated sales of 40 billion euros. Set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering," the Bosch Group today comprises a manufacturing, sales, and after-sales service network of approximately 260 subsidiaries and more than 10,000 service centers in over 130 countries.

In North America, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial automation and mobile products, power tools and accessories, security technology, thermo-technology, packaging equipment and household appliances. Bosch employs nearly 23,000 associates in more than 80 primary and 20 associated facilities throughout the region with reported sales of $7.8 billion in 2004. For more information, visit http://www.bosch.us/ .

Bosch's EBS will be on display in Hall 8, Booth A03 at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show.