The majority of brake boosters have until recently used the vacuum generated by the internal combustion engine’s intake section. With the advent of new powertrain technologies (e.g. hybrid vehicles, downsizing, plug-ins)—or under some specific operating conditions (e.g. during the cold start/warm-up phase, driving at extreme altitudes or when using the air-conditioning system)—the vacuum produced by the engine is no longer sufficient—or sometimes even available.

High-efficiency gasoline engines, diesels and turbo- and super-charged engines, as well as hybrid or full electric powertrains, are examples of where HELLA’s new electric vacuum pump is designed to provide on-demand brake-system vacuum.

The UP5.0 is the most powerful electric vacuum pump in HELLA’s product range.

Fuel efficiency and fully-independent vacuum generation were objectives for the development of the UP5.0. The new electric vacuum pump will increase a vehicle’s fuel efficiency, resulting in CO₂ savings of up to 2g CO₂/km compared to mechanical pumps. This equates to fuel savings of 0.2 to 0.4 miles per gallon.

Through creative material selection, proprietary design and improved high-volume production processes, HELLA’s newest pump delivers cost savings of about 20% compared to the company’s previous generation of stand-alone vacuum pumps.

As a global market leader, HELLA currently supplies electric vacuum pumps to more than 40 international OEMs. HELLA’s fuel-pump production capacity currently totals more than six million units per year, and the company has increased capacity in the mid-term. HELLA manufactures fuel pumps in Germany, Romania, the US, Mexico and China.