Forty years of electronic gasoline injection from Bosch

• D-Jetronic from Bosch laid the foundations for modern gasoline engines
• Electronic injection cuts CO₂ output and pollutant emissions
• Debut of electronic injection in the VW 1600 LE/TLE

D-Jetronic* from Bosch was the first electronically controlled gasoline injection system in the world to be installed into a series-production passenger car, and will be celebrating its 40th anniversary later this year. D-Jetronic was first unveiled to the public in the VW 1600 LE/TLE** at the 1967 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany.

Dr. Steffen Berns, executive vice president engineering for Gasoline Systems at Bosch, said, "D-Jetronic laid the foundations for today’s modern Bosch injection technologies.  Today, we are still pursuing the same objectives: to reduce both fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions.”

D-Jetronic technology made it possible for engine developers to adjust the fuel-air mixture to the engine’s operating status, reducing both fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, for the first time. The basis for its development was as a result of growing demand in Europe for more economical engines, and the strict exhaust emission standards adopted in the United States.

When the ‘Clean Air Act’ was implemented by Californian State authorities in 1967, D-Jetronic represented the only means by which many vehicle models at the time could comply with the emissions legislation. By 1972, just five years after its introduction, 18 manufacturers were using this innovative Bosch technology in series production.

Air quantity as a parameter for electronics
The electronic control device in D-Jetronic was able to regulate the amount of fuel injected into the combustion chamber by adjusting the time the fuel injectors remained open. Alongside engine temperature and speed, the quantity of air drawn in represented one of the most important parameters for the electronic control function. A pressure sensor helped to calculate the quantity of this air based on the intake-manifold pressure. The development of D-Jetronic was accompanied by the development of electric fuel pumps that ensure constant system pressure in the fuel injectors.

As the global market leader, Bosch currently manufactures 80 million gasoline fuel injectors annually, and Bosch has recently produced the one billionth fuel injector for a gasoline engine.

Contemporary development work on injection systems at Bosch still focuses on economical engines with low pollutant emission values. The latest developments include solenoid- or piezo-actuated valves that inject at pressures of up to 200 bar, and that are used in modern passenger car engines with gasoline direct injection. These devices help lower fuel consumption by up to 15 per cent compared to conventional manifold injection systems.

Notes to editors:
*The name D-Jetronic originates from the system’s use of intake-manifold pressure as the key input for injection control (the German world for pressure is ‘Druck’), i.e. for preparation of the air-fuel mixture.

** The VW 1600 LE/TLE’s engine had a displacement of 1.6 litres and an output of 54 horsepower, or 39kW. 

Bosch media enquiries:
Chris Wakley / David Eden
Automotive PR
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7494 8050
Email: cwakley@automotivepr.com / deden@automotivepr.com

Bosch OE enquiries:
Jenny Hodge
Communications Manager
Robert Bosch Limited
Tel: +44 (0) 1895 838545
Email: jenny.hodge@uk.bosch.com

About Bosch
The Bosch Group is the world’s largest provider of automotive technology to all leading vehicle and component manufacturers. 

In 2006, the company generated automotive sales of €27.2 billion and employs approximately 161,000 people in this sector.  The key business areas include: fuel injection technology (diesel & petrol); systems for active and passive vehicle safety (brakes, ABS, traction control, ESP, control units for restraint systems); electrical motors, rotating electrics and products for car multimedia.

Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com and www.bosch.co.uk