News Releases

Hitachi Automotive Systems' high pressure fuel pump, compatible
with the fuel situation in Brazil, is being used by Volkswagen

Tokyo, June 24, 2016 --- Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. today announced that the company's high pressure fuel pumps compatible with the fuel situation in the Federative Republic of Brazil (hereinafter Brazil) are being used by Volkswagen (hereinafter VW).

In Brazil, the 1973 oil crisis led to the initiation of the National Alcohol Program, with vehicles that run on ethanol fuel made from sugarcane developed and released for sale. Currently, the production volume of ethanol in Brazil, which is made from biomass materials such as sugarcane and corn, has increased to account for one third of the ethanol produced worldwide. At the same time, approximately 90% of the automobile units sold in Brazil are flexible-fuel vehicles that run on one or more types of blended fuel such as gasoline and ethanol.

Because ethanol fuel has stronger corrosive and erosive properties than gasoline, it is known to have cause degradation and damage to automobile fuel apparatuses. To respond to these problems, Hitachi Automotive Systems has improved the durability of parts by selecting appropriate materials and optimizing the pump structure using liquid simulation technology. This made it possible to combine 25 megapascals high fuel pressure with 100% ethanol fuel (E100). A structure with low pulsation noise was also applied to make the pump quieter. The provision of these solutions was highly evaluated by VW, which is working to expand business in emerging countries, and the company decided to fit the vehicles produced in Brazil with the said pumps.

Hitachi Automotive Systems has been delivering high pressure fuel pumps to mainly developed regions such as Japan, the US, and Europe. Providing pumps to the VW Group since 2004, the quality and performance of these pumps have been highly evaluated. In the future, Hitachi Automotive Systems will proceed to respond to the needs of car manufacturers expanding business into emerging countries as well as working to increase the spread of new products in emerging countries such as China that have unique fuel situations like Brazil.

E100 compatible high pressure fuel pump

About Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and services of automotive components, transportation related components, industrial machines and systems, and offers a wide range of automotive systems including engine management systems, electric power train systems, drive control systems and car information systems. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/.