- Remi Blondet
New alternator improves fuel consumption
28 July 2003: Bosch has developed an alternator that is so efficient it can actually add up to 6mpg to fuel economy figures. It is also 5 decibels quieter and up to 400cc smaller than conventional alternators.
The improvements are the result of an innovative new "flat pack" manufacturing technique, which achieves a much higher density of copper wires in the unit’s stator windings.
Bosch will supply the 14V LI-X alternators in three different sizes: "Compact", "Medium" and "High Line", with outputs ranging from 1.9 to 3.8 kilowatts. The model range is extremely flexible and power outputs can easily be adjusted for both diesel and petrol engines. Bosch is also planning a 4 kilowatt, 42 volt version.
The LI-X will first be showcased at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September and production will start at Bosch’s UK plant, near Cardiff, at the beginning of 2004.
Bosch is one of the world's biggest manufacturers of alternators, supplying nearly every automobile manufacturer in the world, developing and producing units in Germany, Great Britain, Spain, USA, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, India, Iran, China and Japan.
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