TROY, Mich., (May 4,
2004) — ArvinMeritor’s Commercial
Vehicle Systems business today announced plans with Gillig Corporation, one of
North America’s largest producers of transit buses, based in Hayward, Calif., to
collaborate on new emission control technologies for the North American transit
bus industry. The announcement was made at the American Public Transit
Association Bus & Paratransit Conference in Denver, CO.
Through the partnership, the two companies will
first introduce technologies designed reduce particulate matter (PM) and NOx
(oxides of nitrogen) emissions, which are common pollutants in urban
areas. These technologies include:
- ArvinMeritor Thermal Regenerator: The
“smart” electronically-controlled system that uses a diesel particulate
filter, in conjunction with a heat source, to eliminate particulate matter in
the filter. This removes filter regeneration issues normally related to
duty-cycle of transit buses.
- ArvinMeritor Plasma Fuel Reformer: This
advanced breakthrough technology that uses on-demand hydrogen gas to help
reduce NOx to levels compatible with the U.S. 2010 requirements, when applied
to 2004 model diesel engines. The new technology, in the final
development phase, does not require a hydrogen tank on-board nor changes to
the infrastructure, representing a significantly lower alternative to
compressed natural gas.
“By leveraging our long-standing relationship with
Gillig, we intend to benefit both the transit bus industry and the overall
environment by creating technologies that reduce harmful emissions, without
sacrificing performance or operational efficiencies,” said Pedro Ferro, vice
president and general manager of ArvinMeritor’s Commercial Vehicle Exhaust
business.
ArvinMeritor has a long and proven track record
history of commercializing products that have a positive impact on the
environment, including the company’s introduction of the catalytic converter in
1974.
Gillig's creative engineering and aggressive
problem solving lead to many innovative and environmentally friendly
products. In the early 90's, Gillig produced a variety of alternatively
fueled vehicles including those powered by CNG, LNG, Propane and Methanol.
These were later followed by the 1st parallel hybrid electric bus with
regenerative braking produced in 1998, which has now become a very popular
product for transit industry customers. Gillig's advanced technology
continued with the 1st production built fuel cell bus in 2003.
Gillig is a manufacturer of heavy duty transit
buses and is a 114 year old privately held corporation located in the San
Francisco Bay Area. Gillig's commitment to quality and value have gained a
strong reputation for performance and customer satisfaction throughout the
transit industry.
ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier $8-billion global
supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to the
motor vehicle industry. The company serves light vehicle, commercial
truck, trailer and specialty original equipment manufacturers and related
aftermarkets. Headquartered in Troy, Mich., ArvinMeritor employs
approximately 32,000 people at more than 150 manufacturing facilities in 27
countries. ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the ticker symbol ARM. For more information, visit the
company’s Web site at: http://www.arvinmeritor.com/.
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