With Faurecia's recently announced (November 2009) agreement¹ to acquire EMCON Technologies, Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies is now the world leader in emissions control. Our contributions to clean vehicles – both gas and diesel powered – are focused on reducing emissions, recovering energy and producing lighter weight systems.

Three of Faurecia's most innovative developments for emissions control are exhibited at the LA Auto Show.

Auto industry warms up to Faurecia's
Exhaust Heat Recovery System (EHRS)

Rather than throw off the heat emitted by exhaust systems, Faurecia's Exhaust Heat Recovery System (EHRS) uses a gas/water heat exchanger to warm the engine coolant. As a result, exhaust heat helps the vehicle interior to warm up in 25 percent less time than with conventional systems. EHRS provides a shorter heating time for the engine, as well. When the engine temperature increases more rapidly after start-up, fuel consumption improves.

Faurecia's EHRS technology is also under development to boost the fuel savings of hybrid vehicles by increasing the duration of all-electric driving in the winter. More rapid warming decreases power demand and enables vehicles to travel farther on their electric motors. Faurecia's EHRS offers the potential of an 8 to 10 percent improvement in fuel economy for hybrid vehicles, with an environmentally friendly solution that replaces auxiliary heating systems.

Ultra-flat muffler allows more space inside the vehicle

Faurecia's stamped ultra-flat muffler with thermal insulation is only 80mm high (compared to 120mm or more for traditional mufflers), allowing designers to adapt it to vehicles with lowered underbodies. Consequently, the vehicle's interior gains space that can be used efficiently for extra comfort. Absorption material for acoustic and thermal insulation are integrated into the muffler, and welding of the shell to the inner structure provides better structural stiffness and lessens noise radiation.

"Maniverter" helps hybrids operate even more efficiently

Faurecia has designed the maniverter to fit compactly so that it meets the requirements of smaller engines of hybrid vehicles. A faster light-off speed (temperature conversion rate of the catalytic converter) during the thermal-engine phase results in reduced engine emissions.

For more information, please download our press kit.

¹Subject to approval of anti-trust authorities