“eSafety Award 2008” in the category Industry & Technology Bosch communication of ESP® receives award Drivers are made aware of advantages of safety equipment

· Bosch has offered instruction as to the advantages of ESP® since 2003

· Knowing the benefits of ESP® is critical when buying a car

· In 2007, every second newly registered vehicle in Europe was equipped with ESP®

BRUSSELS – On November 5, 2008, Bosch received the eSafety Award 2008 for its success in promoting the ESP® electronic stability program. Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media and founder of the i2010 initiative “Intelligent Car”, presented the award to Dr. Bernd Bohr, chairman of the Bosch Automotive Group. With this award in the category “Industry & Technology,” the eSafety Award Committee paid tribute to the outstanding achievements of Bosch’s marketing and communication strategy, which is oriented to the needs of the end consumer. This strategy has accelerated the market acceptance of ESP® in Europe. “Our market surveys show that for people buying a car in Europe, safety is the most important criterion for their choice. Since ESP® is often made available only as optional equipment, it is vital that people buying a car should be informed as to its benefits. This is the only way they can arrive at an informed decision in favor of a technology that can save their life,” Bohr explained, outlining the rationale behind Bosch’s communication activities for ESP®. In December 2007, Bosch had already received for the same activities the “FIA World Prize for Road Safety, the Environment and Mobility” awarded by the International Automobile Federation FIA.

Bosch developed the ESP® electronic stability program and in 1995 was the first manufacturer to bring it into series production. Since 2003, the company has supported the efforts of the eSafety initiative brought about by the European Commission, which aims to radically improve road traffic safety through the use of vehicle safety systems. Its audacious target: to halve the number of people killed in road traffic accidents in the EU, i.e. to reduce this number from 50,000 to 25,000 in the ten years leading up to 2010.

The award-winning communication activities for ESP® are all designed to make clear to drivers how ESP® works and what it offers in the way of advantages. Since studies have shown that car sales personnel represent the most important source of information for people buying a car, Bosch has created the car dealership training program called ESP®erience and carried it out on a worldwide basis. By October 2008, and in cooperation with automakers, a full 93,400 car salespersons worldwide have already received instruction as to the advantages of this life-saving technology. At the same time, Bosch has deployed eight driving simulators worldwide, of which four are in Europe. At trade fairs or customer events, for example, such machines, which simulate driving with and without ESP® backup, allow people to experience in convincing fashion the benefits of the technology. One important element, especially for press activities, is the tracking of the numbers of newly registered vehicles in Europe equipped with ESP®. A market research institute commissioned by Bosch has been reporting such numbers since 2003. According to its findings, the share of newly registered vehicles equipped with ESP® has risen from 29 percent in 2003 to 50 percent in 2007. The ESP® installation rate measured in the European fleet lies at only 20 percent.

The ESP® electronic stability program recognizes when a vehicle begins to skid, then automatically brakes individual wheels to stabilize the vehicle, allowing the driver to keep it under control. Studies undertaken in various parts of the world show that up to 80 percent of all accidents attributed to skidding could be avoided if vehicles were equipped with ESP®. An economic report published in Germany by the University of Cologne in 2007 showed that if all cars were equipped with ESP®, 4,000 road traffic fatalities and 100,000 road traffic injuries could be avoided per year in Europe alone.


The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 271,000 associates generated sales of 46.3 billion euros in fiscal 2007. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in roughly 50 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3 billion euros for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.”

The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.