Automotive supplier HELLA has developed an electrically driven vacuum pump for vehicle brake systems that the company says promises impressive performance, durability, power efficiency and packaging.
HELLA’s new electric vacuum pump is designed to provide an on-demand brake-system vacuum for high-efficiency gasoline engines, diesels and turbo- and super-charged engines, as well as hybrid or full electric powertrains.
Automakers and suppliers are working to reduce CO2 emissions to meet strict new requirements taking effect in 2020 and 2025. New fuel-saving approaches often have a direct impact on other engine functions that, for example, provide vacuum to support brake-booster systems. HELLA’s new UP5.0 Electric Vacuum Pump solves this problem by meeting vacuum requirements for brake boosters under the most demanding applications. Starting in 2015, OEMs faced penalties for CO2 emissions above 180g CO2/km. In 2020, the limit falls to 143g CO2/km, and by 2025 the limit will be 110g CO2/km.
Fuel efficiency and fully independent vacuum generation were objectives for the development of the UP5.0. HELLA says this new vacuum pump will help carmakers meet new emissions marks, while satisfying consumer demand for smooth and consistent brake-pedal feel with reliable performance.
As an added bonus, the new electric vacuum pump will increase a vehicle’s fuel efficiency, resulting in CO2 savings of up to 2g CO2/km compared to mechanical pumps. This equates to fuel savings of 0.2 to 0.4 miles per gallon.
Through creative material selection, proprietary design and improved high-volume production processes, HELLA’s newest pump delivers cost savings of about 20 percent compared to the company’s previous generation of stand-alone vacuum pumps.
As a global market leader, HELLA currently supplies electric vacuum pumps to more than 40 international OEMs. HELLA’s fuel-pump production capacity currently totals more than six million units per year, and the company has increased capacity in the mid-term. HELLA manufactures fuel pumps in Germany, Romania, the U.S., Mexico and China.
