DaimlerChrysler and HJS to form emission control joint venture

4 October 1999

The Powertrain Business Unit at DaimlerChrysler and HJS Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH & Co announced plans to form a joint venture. The new company, in which both partners will have an equal share, will be responsible for the development, production and sale of exhaust gas purification systems for commercial vehicle diesel engines. The signing of the letter of intent is the first step toward combining the two partners’ development activities in this area. Over the next three years, a total of approximately $21 million will be invested in developing these exhaust gas purification systems. Joint development work is expected to begin this year.

The results of the exhaust treatment systems development work already conducted by the two companies independently of each other will form the basis for the future collaborative effort. New developments are geared primarily toward planned emission regulations in Europe and in other markets such as NAFTA and Japan.

The European Union requires drastic reductions in emissions of particulates and oxides of nitrogen contained in diesel exhaust over the next few years.

During the first phase, the new company will develop particulate filters with regeneration systems and selective catalytic reduction converters for oxides of nitrogen. Later, production and worldwide distribution of core components and complete exhaust systems for commercial vehicle manufacturers are planned.

The Powertrain Business Unit of DaimlerChrysler’s Commercial Vehicle Division is a producer of components for engines, transmissions, axles and steering mechanisms of commercial vehicles. In 1998 the unit posted revenues of around $4 billion. About 17,000 employees work at sites in the German cities of Düsseldorf, Gaggenau, Kassel, Mannheim, Rastatt and Stuttgart. Last year, more than 200,000 diesel engines, 250,000 transmissions, 500,000 axles and well over one million steering systems were produced for use throughout the world.

HJS Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH & Co, which is based in Menden, Germany, was established in 1976. The company has been specializing in catalytic converter technology. Since the early 1990s, its research activities have focused on exhaust purification systems for diesel engines.

Source: DaimlerChrysler