Speaking at the company’s annual press conference, Bosch (www.bosch.com) CEO Volkmar Denner said: “There’s a future for diesel. Today, we want to put a stop — once and for all — to the debate about the demise of diesel technology.”

He then announced a decisive breakthrough in diesel technology, saying that new developments from Bosch could enable vehicle manufacturers to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) so drastically that they already comply with future limits.

“Even in RDE — real driving emissions — testing, emissions from vehicles equipped with the newly premiered Bosch diesel technology are not only significantly below current limits but also below those scheduled to come into force from 2020.

“Bosch engineers achieved these results by refining existing technologies. There is no need for additional components, which would drive up costs.”

Dr Denner added: “Bosch is pushing the boundaries of what is technically feasible. Equipped with the latest Bosch technology, diesel vehicles will be classed as low-emission vehicles and yet remain affordable.”

He also called for greater transparency with regard to the CO emissions caused by road traffic, and for fuel consumption — and thus CO2 emissions — to be measured under real conditions on the road in the future.