Mitsubishi Heavy To Make Diesel Engine Fuel Injection System

9 February 2007

Nikkei. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) will develop and manufacture a common rail fuel system for passenger vehicle diesel engines, with an eye toward supplying automakers as soon as 2009.

Mitsubishi Heavy last year announced that it will co-develop a next-generation diesel engine with Mitsubishi Motors Corp., rolling out a practical version as early as 2009 targeted at the European market. (Earlier post.)

MHI will also spend at least ¥7 billion (US$58 million) in fiscal 2007 to increase its turbocharger manufacturing capability by 30%.

To design the fuel injection system, Mitsubishi Heavy has drawn engineers from its main research operation as well as from its shipbuilding segment and specialized-vehicles department.

MHI will first supply the common-rail system to Mitsubishi Motors before offering it to other automakers in Europe.

The investment to increase turbocharger production will go primarily toward the main plant at Mitsubishi Heavy's general-machinery and special-vehicle operation. A new line for processing parts will be added in fiscal 2007, lifting fiscal 2008 production to 4 million units, 30% more than the estimate for fiscal 2006.