Continental pump reduces Co2 emissions from ICEs

Continental Automotive has announced that its electric vacuum pump (EVP) offers a solution for reducing emissions from conventional Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs). The German auto component supplier has conducted simulations followed by road tests, both with and without electric and mechanical vacuum pumps, in order to determine how a vacuum pump influences a vehicle’s CO2 emissions. The test car was a small diesel with 1,560 cubic centimeters and 109 horsepower. The results indicate that an EVP reduces CO2 emissions by between 1.4 and 1.8 grams per kilometre, depending on the type of fuel used and the size of the vehicle. “An electric vacuum pump can eliminate between 1.4 and 1.8 grams of CO2 per kilometer more, compared to a mechanical vacuum pump. Since it does not rely on the engine, it can provide a vacuum even if the motor is switched off as part of a stop-start function. Restarting the engine would otherwise result in heightened emissions, if vacuum were required,” states Michael Juerging, who spearheads development of vacuum pumps in the Hydraulic Brake Systems Business Unit of Continental’s Chassis & Safety Division. Moreover, the compact and efficient EVP can result in even greater CO2 reductions by supporting extended stop-start functions.