Vitesco Technologies Wins Major Order from European Vehicle Manufacturer

• First high-volume production start of electrically heated catalytic converter worldwide is part of Vitesco Technologies' electrification strategy
• Production start for multi-million contract relating to electrified vans planned for late 2022
• Innovative electric catalytic converter aimed at ensuring vehicles comply with planned stringent Euro 7 standard

Regensburg, March 12, 2020. Vitesco Technologies, a leading supplier in the field of vehicle electrification, and Continental's Powertrain division has won a major contract from an European vehicle manufacturer for the supply of innovative electric heating elements for diesel catalytic converters. This EMICAT brand e-catalyst technology will be used in two of the manufacturer's 48-volt hybrid van models. Start of production for the multi-million contract is scheduled for end 2022. 

The capability to rapidly heat up the catalytic converter at all times increases the overall efficiency of exhaust-gas aftertreatment. This means that the vehicles will be prepared to meet the future extremely stringent Euro 7 standard. The EMICAT e-catalyst developed by Vitesco Technologies is a form of smart electrification for combustion engines. It ensures effective exhaust gas aftertreatment, even when the exhaust gas is actually too cold for this purpose. This is the case, for example, when a diesel engine is producing very little heat in slow urban traffic. The 48 V current for the e-catalyst is obtained via recuperation in the vehicle’s mild hybrid system. 

The high efficiency of modern diesel engines means that the engine barely gets warm in certain operating situations. In principle, this is desirable, as lost heat means lower efficiency. However, exhaust gas pollutants can only be converted into harmless substances in a catalytic converter if the exhaust gas and therefore the catalytic converters are sufficiently hot. This is often not the case, particularly in slow inner-city traffic where conditions previously only familiar during cold engine starts are frequent. “This is critical for compliance with stringent emission standards because the vast majority of pollutants in a test cycle are released during the cold start phase,” explains Rolf Brück, head of Catalytic Converters and Filters at Vitesco Technologies.

In a dedicated mild hybrid demonstration vehicle with a diesel engine, Vitesco Technologies has demonstrated the effect that the EMICAT® can have with its 4kW heating output: In the Super Clean Electrified Diesel vehicle featuring a 48-V system, NO_x emissions dropped by 40%, and CO₂ emissions decreased by 3% in the WLTP test. In the extremely slow “Traffic for London” cycle, NO_x emissions even fell by 62%. In the Super Clean Electrified Diesel, the efficiency of exhaust gas aftertreatment rises to 97%.