• FIA World Prize 2007 goes to Bosch
• Award for contribution to worldwide road safety
• ESP® counteracts vehicle skidding

Monaco, December 7, 2007 – Highest accolade for the Bosch Group: The FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) is to award the company the internationally acclaimed "FIA World Prize for Road Safety, the Environment and Mobility." With the award, the FIA is expressing its recognition of the great contribution the automotive supplier has made to worldwide road safety by developing and consistently marketing the ESP^® safety system. FIA President Max Mosley presented the trophy to the CEO of Robert Bosch GmbH, Franz Fehrenbach, at the FIA gala in Monaco. "Bosch has played a pivotal role in the development and promotion of the most effective car safety system since the invention of the safety belt", Mosley explained. In his acceptance speech, Fehrenbach replied: "This prize is a distinction for all our associates: for the engineers who developed the system, for the associates in our plants who have been producing this system to the highest quality standards for many years now, and not least for the marketing experts who have never tired of communicating the benefits of this system." The FIA World Prize is presented every year to a person or an organization that has made an outstanding contribution in the areas of road safety, the environment, or mobility.

International accident studies demonstrate that at least 40 percent of all fatal traffic accidents are caused by skidding. Around 80 percent of all skidding accidents could be prevented with ESP^®. This year, a socio-economic study by the University of Cologne showed that 4,000 traffic deaths and 100,000 injuries could be prevented in Europe alone if ESP^® were installed in all vehicles. The U.S. road traffic agency NHTSA estimates that 10,000 traffic deaths on American roads could be prevented with ESP^®. Bosch developed the active safety system and was the first company to put it on the market in 1995. "ESP^® is a prime example of how innovative safety systems can improve road safety," said Fehrenbach.

In 2006, 26 percent of all new vehicles produced worldwide were equipped with ESP^®. In the first half of 2007, the share of all newly registered cars in Europe was 47 percent. In the U.S., legislation was passed in 2007 making ESP^® mandatory standard equipment for all passenger cars from model year 2012. And the EU Commission has also announced its intention to mandate installation of the anti-skid system from 2011.

The NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) organizations around the world also recommend the use of ESP^®. For example, since 2005 the European NCAP has recommended that car buyers only buy vehicles with ESP^®. The NCAP association of Australasia (ANCAP) has gone one step further, and announced that only vehicles with ESP^® will be given five stars from 2008 on.

About the Bosch Group

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 280,000 associates generated sales of 45.1 billion euros in fiscal 2008. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros, or eight percent of its sales revenue, for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial.

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.

About Bosch in China

Bosch founded its first trading office in China as early as 1909. In 1926, the first car service workshop opened in Shanghai. Today, all Bosch business sectors are present in China: Automotive Technology, Industrial Technology and Consumer Goods and Building Technology. The company operates 44 legal entities in China and has a holding company in Shanghai. Consolidated sales in China reached 2.2 billion euros in 2008. Some 20,200 Bosch associates in all legal entities and facilities are committed to bringing to Chinese customers the latest technology as well as the most reliable services to help improve their quality of life.

About Bosch Chassis Systems Control China

As one of the key divisions of Bosch's automotive technology business, Bosch Chassis Systems Control China started its engineering and sales in China in 2002. This development was followed by the establishment of its new ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) production line in Suzhou and the localized production of ABS in 2003 as well as the localized production of ABS8.0 and ESP®8.0 in Suzhou in 2005. In April 2005 Bosch established its Suzhou Engineering Center to enhance its development and production capabilities in China, speed up its response to market requirements and thus better serve Chinese customers. The Engineering Center has a total area of 200,000 square meters and a total investment of US$ 60 million. In 2006, Bosch established its vehicle verification road (VVR). The VVR is mainly used for road testing and verification of vehicle braking systems. It covers a total area of 36,480 square meters and represents a total investment of Euro 1.8 million. The road is designed and built according to international professional standards. The establishment of VVR distinguishes Bosch as the only automotive supplier to own a professional braking systems verification road in China.

Additional information can be accessed at
http://www.bosch-esperience.com.cn.

For more information on Bosch China, please visit http://www.bosch.com.cn

News sourc: Bosch China
Publish date: Dec. 2007