FRANKFURT, GERMANY — Mark P. Frissora, chairman, CEO and president, Tenneco Automotive said today that the company is winning new OE business with its advanced suspension and emission control technologies. Its products are featured on more than 30 vehicle model premieres at the 2005 Frankfurt Auto Show (IAA).

“Our advanced emission control and ride control technologies are helping OEMs meet air quality standards, differentiate brands and specific models, and respond to consumer demand for ride comfort and better handling vehicles,” said Frissora.

Earlier this year, the company announced new OE contracts — including new diesel technology and advanced suspension system business — expected to generate up to $800 million in annualized revenue for vehicles that will begin launching in 2006 and 2007, by Tenneco’s estimations. Since that announcement, the company has been awarded seven additional contracts with European-based OEMs for its Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and Computerized Electronic Suspension (CES) technologies.

Since becoming a stand-alone company in 1999, Tenneco Automotive has grown its annual revenue by nearly $1 billion. Frissora emphasized that a good portion of the company’s growth is driven by the company’s advanced technologies including diesel technologies, sound engineering and advanced suspension components and systems.

Frissora cited an expected increase in diesel powered passenger vehicles in Europe to 51 percent by the end of this year and 59 percent by 2009, based on recent Global Insight data. UBA research estimates that the European market for diesel particulate filters will grow from 400,000 units in 2004 to 3.0 million in 2007 and 8.2 million by 2012.

Tenneco Automotive was one of the first global suppliers to offer both additive and catalyst-coated diesel particulate filter technologies in series production. The company’s DPF product on the Peugeot 407 coupe featured at this year’s IAA is the most recent addition to a growing list of vehicles supplied with Tenneco Automotive’s diesel particulate filter technology.

Diesel particulate filters remove particulate matter from diesel engine exhaust. When gases carrying particulate matter flow through the filter’s substrate walls, particulate matter is trapped and collected in the filter. A regeneration process then burns off the soot using either a fuel borne additive or a catalytic filter coating. Filters are completely cleaned or replaced at a service interval between 150,000 and 225,000 km.

Tenneco Automotive first began production of diesel particulate filter technology in 2000 in conjunction with PSA Peugeot-Citroen for the Citroen C5 and Peugeot 406 diesel passenger vehicles. Today the company also supplies DPF for DaimlerChrysler’s Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class and CLK passenger cars, Jaguar S-Type and the Audi A6 and A4. The company also continues to supply PSA on its new Peugeot 407, Peugeot 807, Citroen C5 and C8, Fiat Ulysse and Lancia Phedra.

Additionally, Tenneco Automotive will supply light vehicle OEMs in North America with diesel exhaust systems for various full size pick- up trucks and vans, and medium duty commercial truck models, and the full diesel exhaust system to a commercial vehicle OEM for a medium duty diesel truck platform.

Tenneco Automotive also said that safety and the feel of a vehicle’s ride remain among the top influencers in consumer buying decisions. Helping OEMs deliver better handling and the ride that consumers prefer has driven greater demand for Tenneco Automotive’s higher performance suspension systems such as its Computerized Electronic Suspension (CES) system and new Monotube Blow Off (MTBO) shock absorber. As a result, the company’s goal is to triple its share of the electronic shock absorber market by 2007.

CES is a semi-active suspension system that achieves optimal balance between ride comfort and handling. The system changes the feel of a vehicle’s ride by continuously adjusting the shock absorber damping levels to road conditions and vehicle dynamics like speed, turning, cornering and driver inputs. The system was developed by Tenneco Automotive in conjunction with Ohlins Racing.

Volvo used the Tenneco Automotive CES to develop its continuously controlled chassis concept, standard on its S60 R and V70 R performance vehicles and offered as an option on its S60, V70, XC70 and S80 vehicles. The CES system is also on the Audi A6 and Audi A6 Avant.

Tenneco Automotive’s MTBO shock absorber is on the Ford Focus ST, featured at the IAA and scheduled for launch later this year. MTBO is a monotube shock absorber with an innovative valve that offers improved tuning, damping consistency and durability. These single tube high-pressure gas shocks offer enhanced vehicle stability and handling with design features that provide more mounting options and higher damping levels compared to similar twin tube shocks. With the MTBO valve, internal pressure in the damper is rapidly built-up to a pre-set maximum level, or blow-off level, to provide consistent damping at all speeds.

Tenneco Automotive’s expertise in developing exhaust systems that generate desired engine sounds is increasingly important as customers look for additional ways to differentiate vehicle brands. These sound and acoustical engineering capabilities were applied on the VW Golf GT, which is also premiering at this year’s IAA show, and on the BMW 1Series, where the company’s engineers worked with BMW to give the 1Series a distinctive sound without engine modifications.

Tenneco Automotive’s sound engineers use a series of tools that define the “sound character” of a car by the harmonics and sub-harmonics of its exhaust system and express this specific “character” as a series of engineering specifications. The company uses sophisticated predictive tools and virtual design and development capabilities to develop solutions that meet customer sound targets for particular vehicles and ensure system optimization.

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