Environmentally friendly gas pump from Rheinmetall sets new records

• Eco-friendly development by Pierburg in Neuss
• Suitable for modern engines
• Total orders of over 1 billion EUR

Thanks to recent orders worth over €350 million, the Rheinmetall Group’s Automotive arm has set a new record with its newly developed electric gas pump for tank systems – the Electrical Vapor Pump, or EVAP. Three inter-national automakers have ordered the innovative new component, which first appeared on the market in summer 2018. The vehicles they produce will be sold in North America, Japan, China and South Korea. Coupled with orders already booked last year worth over €700 million, this pushes the aggregate value of lifetime incoming orders for this environmentally sustain­­able system over the billion-euro mark just two years after its market launch. 

Developed by Pierburg GmbH of Neuss, Germany, the components scrub the activated carbon casing when negative pressure is lacking in the intake cycle, making it particularly suitable for modern engines in hybrid vehicles or direct injectors. At its EVAP production sites in Fountain Inn, South Carolina and in the Shanghai region in China, Pierburg is currently carrying out the biggest project in the history of the company.

Strict regulations govern not only the emissions produced by internal combustion engines, but also those caused by their fuel supplies. In order to meet these standards, activated carbon cases are used to collect the fuel fumes when the motor comes to a standstill or during electric operation, binding these until they can be combusted in the engine. However, because the capacity of the container for storing hydrocarbon compounds is limited, the EVAP regularly scrubs this zone with fresh air.

These new pumps operate with high throughput and simultaneously low pressure, while innovative cooling of the electronics produces strong thermal resistance. This assures that the pumps operate reliably even under adverse conditions in the engine compartment. In addition, they are equipped with an integrated pressure sensor that reports the system pressure to the vehicle’s control unit.