Delphi Helps Answer Fuel Questions with E85-Compatibile Technology

Company has supplied ethanol-friendly components to more than 2 million vehicles

Jul 10, 2006, TROY, Mich. -- With the U.S. automotive industry facing calls to develop environmentally friendly vehicles that decrease dependency on foreign oil, Delphi Corp. is continuing its commitment to alternative fuels with its family of ethanol-friendly products.

Delphi now manufactures products that can run on pure ethanol (E100) or any blend of gasoline and ethanol, including the E85 now increasingly available throughout the United States. The technologies can be found on nine vehicles sold in the United States and South America. (Further details remain confidential at the customer’s request.)

In the United States, Delphi has supplied E85-compatible technology to more than 2 million vehicles. In South America, Delphi has produced systems and components for more than 430,000 ethanol compatible vehicles since 1991.

“Our long history and work with ethanol gives us an expertise many companies do not yet have,” said Scott Bailey, general manager Gas EMS & Powertrain Products, Delphi Powertrain Systems. “For instance, E85 can be more corrosive than gasoline on certain components, but Delphi’s products are highly durable thanks to more than a decade’s work with the fuel.”

Delphi’s current ethanol-friendly products include:

Fuel Injection systems – Delphi fuel rails and Multec 3.5 E85 injectors allow for increased flow capacity for ethanol. Additionally, they are designed with additional resistance to ethanol corrosion.

Electronics and software – Through algorithms and special controls, Delphi’s Engine Control Module with multi-fuel detection and compensation algorithm is designed to detect ethanol blends and adjust fuel and spark control for optimal efficiency. For example, if a driver fuels with E85 and then refuels with normal gasoline, Delphi’s system detects the mixed fuel and makes the appropriate adjustments.

Fuel module – Like the fuel injection system, Delphi’s fuel module is resistant to highly-corrosive ethanol fuels. It also allows for increased flow capacity for ethanol fuels.

Delphi began working with ethanol fuel in the late 1980s to support the Brazilian auto industry move to use ethanol made from locally-grown sugar cane as fuel. By 1991, Delphi was supplying components to vehicles that could run on E100 in Brazil.

In 2003, Delphi was one of the first suppliers to produce a multi-fuel engine management system that could use E100, regular Brazilian gasoline (E24) or any fuel blend in between. This type of system is now found on all of the new generation of multi-fuel vehicles, and includes the Delphi multi-fuel engine control unit and the fuel injection system. Delphi has supplied more than 180,000 of these systems into the Brazilian market.

By 2000, E85 compatible vehicles equipped with Delphi technology debuted on the U.S. market. Now in its second generation, Delphi continues to work to further refine its ethanol systems. For example, Delphi is developing direct injection gas technology that is compatible with ethanol fuels.

“E85- and E100-friendly products are just one step we are taking to improve the flexibility and efficiency of the internal combustion engine, while also helping to reduce dependency on foreign oil,” said Bailey. “Delphi also has valve train technology such as cylinder deactivation and cam phasing and has made improvements on port fuel injection and developments with direct injection gas, which all take our goals one step further.”

For more information about Delphi (OTC: DPHIQ), visit www.delphi.com.

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Andrea Knapp

Press Contact

Delphi Corp.

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