Volkswagen New Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle Uses Modine's Fuel Cell Products Group

RACINE, Wis.--May 17 2005--Modine Manufacturing Company , a leader in the design and development of critical heat and mass transfer technology for fuel cell systems, announced today it is now supplying humidification and water management components to Volkswagen for their fuel cell hybrid vehicle - the Touran HyMotion. Modine has been working on developing this fuel cell technology for the past year. Over the next year, the Company will continue working with Europe's biggest carmaker to optimize these and other critical components for its fuel cell systems.

"This opportunity allows Modine and Volkswagen to combine their years of expertise toward making fuel cell vehicle systems commercially viable," said Mark Baffa, Director of Modine's Fuel Cell Products Group.

This is Volkswagen's latest endeavor into the fuel cell hybrid automobile market, and part of the car company's global effort to reduce vehicle emissions and lessen the world's dependence on oil. Automakers know that rising oil prices and tougher environmental rules will increase the public's interest in vehicles that use less fuel with reduced tail pipe emissions.

Fuel cells are powered by hydrogen, which reacts with oxygen to create electricity to power the car's motor. Hybrids increase fuel efficiency by capturing the energy normally lost to friction braking and storing it in a battery for later use when driving power is again required. Unlike internal combustion engine hybrids, Volkswagen's hydrogen fuel cell hybrid emits only water.

Volkswagen officials declared that Modine's experience with fuel cell systems played an important role in the success of the latest engine development effort. They expect Modine to be an important partner in the long term goal of developing commercially viable fuel cell systems.

"This vehicle will allow Volkswagen to gain invaluable learning for their future endeavors in this important technology and Modine is pleased to have been able to support their efforts. We look forward to our future collaboration with them," added Baffa.

New VW Contract Latest Modine Fuel Cell Initiative

Modine began working with fuel cell technology in the spring of 1997 and launched a Fuel Cell Products Group in 2000. Now the group's employees are using Modine's nearly 90 years of global experience in thermal management to design cutting-edge fuel cell thermal solutions. Modine technology is already at work in high profile automotive fuel cell projects with Ballard Power Systems Inc., such as water management components for the PEM fuel cell engine that Ballard is currently supplying to DaimlerChrysler, Ford and others. In addition, Modine is supplying stack cooling modules along with other heat exchangers for the Ballard fuel cell engine used in more than 30 buses which are part of the CUTE Program (Clean Urban Transport for Europe), as well as for the Gillig Corporation bus for the California Fuel Cell Partnership. Modine's Fuel Cell Products Group also supplies stack cooling modules and other balance of plant thermal management technology to a number of stationary fuel cell manufacturers and fuel processing sub-systems and components for both the hydrogen infrastructure efforts and for stationary applications.

Modine employs more than 500 thermal design engineers focused on providing cooling solutions to customers. With fiscal 2005 revenues of $1.5 billion, the Company specializes in thermal management systems and components, bringing highly engineered heating and cooling technology and solutions to diversified global markets. Modine products are used in light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles, HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning) equipment, industrial equipment, refrigeration systems, fuel cells, and electronics. The Company employs nearly 9,400 people at 40 facilities worldwide. For more information about Modine and for pictures of the Touran HyMotion fuel cell hybrid vehicle visit www.modine.com.