DENSO Corporation announced today that it will build a new test facility at its Zenmyo Plant located in Nishio, Aichi, Japan for testing common rail systems—fuel injection systems for diesel vehicles. With a total investment of approximately 8 billion yen (approximately US$77.2 million), construction is scheduled to start in May 2009 and be completed in March 2010. The new facility is set to begin operations in April 2010.

Currently, all tests and evaluations of common rail systems that need to be performed in Japan are conducted at DENSO headquarters in Kariya, Aichi, Japan. DENSO will continue design and development testing of common rail systems at its headquarters, but will be able to conduct performance evaluations and durability tests at the new testing facility at the Zenmyo Plant, which produces common rail systems. This approach will help DENSO speed up product development.

"The construction of a new test facility will help DENSO improve development efficiency and strengthen R&D systems for common rail systems to comply with increasingly strict exhaust emission and fuel consumption regulations, and to apply to different types of fuels, such as biofuels," said Masahiko Miyaki, managing officer responsible of DENSO Corporation's Powertrain Control Systems Business Group.

Profile of new test facility
1. Building floor area: Approximately 9,000 square meters
2. Investment: Approximately 8 billion yen (approximately US$77.2 million*)
3. Start of operations: April 2010
4. Business description: Performance evaluations and durability tests of common rail systems

Profile of Zenmyo Plant
1. Start of operations: September 1998
2. Location: Zenmyo, Nishio, Aichi, Japan
3. Site area: Approximately 320,000 square meters
4. Building floor area: Approximately 78,000 square meters
5. Employees: 1,021 (as of March 31, 2008)
6. Business Description: Production of common rail systems