Makuhari, Japan–November 2, 2004–Chief executives of the world's leading Manufacturers of heavy-duty vehicles and engines from Japan, Europe, and the United States met today to discuss the challenges facing the industry.

The 2^nd Global Commercial Vehicle Meeting, chaired by Hino Motors Chairman Mr. Tadaaki Jagawa, follows last year's inaugural meeting in Amsterdam. Today's discussions focused on identifying the policies and actions needed to continue the substantial progress already made in reducing emissions from heavy-duty vehicles worldwide into the next decade.

In today's meeting, the executives emphasized the significance of advanced environmental performance, safety, and efficiency of road transport and agreed that cooperation among industry, government, and vehicle users is key to making additional progress on these issues.

Participants agreed that government authorities should recognize the importance of internationally harmonized regulations and test procedures as a means to promote the rapid introduction and deployment of cost-effective new technologies to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency, and promote safer vehicles in the future.

As a result of today's meeting, vehicle and engine manufacturers reconfirmed their commitment to cooperate in promoting the global harmonization of government regulations.

Future Technologies Discussed

Summit participants recognized that industry has made significant progress in reducing emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. However, additional efforts and technology development are necessary to meet the increasingly more stringent emissions requirement being implemented in Europe, Japan and the US.

Manufacturers face a significant challenge to meet those accelerated emissions reductions over the next decade but believe that the use of advanced fuels integrated with sophisticated electronic technology, advanced combustion techniques, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and aftertreatment systems will result in meeting these very stringent emissions requirements. Different aftertreatment systems will be used, such as – Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) with urea as a reagent and NOx Storage Reduction (NSR).

To meet future requirements combinations of these technologies are needed.

At the conclusion of the Makuhari meeting, the global commercial vehicle and engine manufacturers agreed to continue working together and issued the following statements:

Members and staff of The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) as well as the Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) of the United States participated in this second meeting.

Future meetings to continue cooperative efforts on international issues are planned for 2005 in the U.S.