Bosch calls for more standardisation

• Sharing components would reduce costs
• Some parts currently have 50 variations
• Engine and gear management are likely areas

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Bosch, the world's largest supplier of car parts, is urging car manufacturers to extend component-sharing schemes to cut costs.

Many manufacturers already share car technology so that economies of scale help them to reduce costs.

Suzuki and Vauxhall, for instance, have recently launched their respective Splash and Agila models based on the same platforms (as they did with the previous versions).

However, Bosch says that this co-operation does not always extend to using the same car parts.

A spokesman told the Financial Times that it currently produces 40-50 different common-rail injection valves, for instance.

The most likely areas for standardisation would be in engine and gearbox management parts, and in software and safety systems.