Bosch Advances Diesel Racing Engine

Clean-diesel engines are matching - even surpassing - the performance of conventional auto engines. The Bosch Group of Farmington Hills, MI, is running race cars powered by clean diesel engines - and they're winning. Bosch supplies high-pressure pumps and piezo-inline injectors for the diesel common rail injection system on the Audi R10 TDI racing car. The introduction of diesel technology to the Audi R10 made racing history when it became the first diesel-powered engine to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That feat continues this year as the Audi R10 leads its race class in the American Le Mans Series.

Bosch's diesel technology is also available in passenger cars. "The success we've seen both on and off the race track proves that clean diesel technology is a powerful and viable powertrain solution that offers consumers improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and increased performance," says Chris Qualters, director of marketing for North American Diesel Systems at Bosch. The company estimates the North American market for light diesel vehicles will reach 15 percent by 2015. According to R.L. Polk and the Diesel Technology Forum, registrations for diesel-powered vehicles rose 80 percent between 2000 and 2005, from 300,000 to 545,000 vehicles.