CAP-Hardstaff Passes Both Euro III and IV Strict Emission Tests; Clean Air Partners and T. Baden Hardstaff Joint Venture Bring Lower Heavy-Duty Truck Engine Emissions to the UK.

Business Editors/Automotive Writers/Environment Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2003

U.S.-based Clean Air Partners Inc. (CAP), a leader in the development and commercialization of high-tech solutions to reduce engine emissions, together with its joint venture partner T. Baden Hardstaff, pioneer of special application technologies and patented exhaust after-treatments, announced today that CAP-Hardstaff's Dual-Fuel(TM) technology has passed the European Union's rigorous Euro III and Euro IV emissions tests for heavy-duty truck engines.

The CAP-Hardstaff venture was recently established to bring a new standard of low emissions vehicles to the U.K. market. Operating from the Charnwood Truck/Foden dealership in Kingston-on-Soar (near Nottingham), Clean Air Partners' proprietary Dual-Fuel technology is incorporated into electronically controlled Caterpillar C-12 diesel engines in Foden trucks.

The European Union (EU) has progressively tightened their emission requirements including the Euro III standards initiated in 2001, and leading up to the Euro IV standard that will eventuate in 2005.

"We are very pleased that through our strategic venture with T. Baden Hardstaff and our Dual-Fuel technology, we're able to significantly decrease heavy-duty truck emissions in the UK," commented Kevin Campbell LEV general sales manager for Clean Air Partners. "This is a great achievement for us and meeting the strict EU standards will help open up the U.K. and European market for our Dual-Fuel systems."

All certification tests were witnessed and approved by the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) of North America. Chuck Gepper of the VCA's Ohio office commented on the results, "This system for reducing emissions will set a new benchmark for the industry."

CAP-Hardstaff's implementation of the Dual-Fuel technology powering heavy-duty trucks with natural gas has great advantages.

"CAP-Hardstaff offers the U.K. truck market the most efficient, cost-effective and proven technology," stated Hardstaff's managing director, Trevor Fletcher. "Not only are emissions substantially reduced, but U.K. truck owners can realize up to a 30 percent savings in fuel costs. We are forwarding these VCA-witnessed results on to The Energy Savings Trust to request approval for inclusion in their PowerShift program that can potentially cover 60 percent of the cost of equipment and installation labor."

Clean Air Partners' existing Dual-Fuel systems use diesel fuel as a pilot for combustion that ignites under the heat of compression to produce substantially less NOx, CO2 and particulate emissions than engines burning 100 percent diesel fuel without sacrificing diesel-like performance. This technology takes the benefits of a diesel engine (quick response to load change, reliability, high efficiency and low cost) and combines it with the benefits of a natural gas engine (low emissions and typically lower fuel cost) to provide a high performance, low emissions, cost effective, clean system that can also reduce operating costs.

Clean Air Partners was founded in 1991 to develop technologies that would allow diesel engines to operate with the low emissions benefits of natural gas while retaining the power, efficiency, longevity and cost effectiveness of compression ignition engines. Since that time, CAP has broadened its scope to include a wider range of diesel and natural gas emissions reduction technologies and applications. Clean Air Partners' time-proven products, based on proprietary technologies from 31 active patents, are operating globally: thousands of low emission vehicle and industrial systems utilizing CAP's technology are in service today. Its sub-components are used in low emission vehicles produced by some of the world's largest automotive and truck manufacturers. For more information about Clean Air Partners and its technologies, please visit www.cleanairpartners.com.

T. Baden Hardstaff, parent company to the Hardstaff Group, was founded in 1861 and is headquartered in Nottingham, U.K. Inspired by an enterprising spirit, the company offers a full range of new technology products and services to the road transport industry. The company specializes in fuel management systems and the reduction of vehicle emissions, and is well known for pioneering the development of natural gas, dual-fuel powered trucks within the U.K. market, and for the development of unparalleled new technology in exhaust after-treatments. Additional company information is available from www.hardstaffgroup.co.uk or contact Kelvin Briggs, Managing Director of CAP-Hardstaff at 44 115 983 2300, mobile [phone] or email [e-mail].