CDTi Adds to Its Portfolio of Advanced Catalytic Materials

OXNARD, Calif., May 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDTI) ("CDTi" or "the Company"), a leader in advanced emission control technology, introduced a new leg of its advanced materials platform: Base-Metal Activated Rhodium Support (BMARSTM) technology. BMARS is one of CDTi's new, key enabling catalytic powder materials — developed to reduce the dependence on the use of costly platinum group metals (PGMs) in vehicle emission control systems — currently undergoing vehicle and engine testing at third-party laboratories.

Initial test results demonstrate that in a typical two-catalyst configuration using a close-coupled (CC) and an underfloor (UF) catalyst, BMARS, with 50% less PGM, outperformed the OEM catalyst system on a popular passenger car. In addition, the BMARS CC catalyst alone outperformed the OEM CC+UF system. This offers OEMs the prospect of eliminating the UF catalyst unit altogether while achieving a greater than 50% PGM cost reduction on the remaining CC catalyst unit, resulting in an overall potential cost savings of over $200 per vehicle.

Chris Harris, CDTi's President and CEO, stated: "2015 is a big year for us. It is the year when we expect to validate our advanced materials platforms on vehicles at independent testing facilities. BMARS represents another breakthrough technology, in addition to SPGM™ DOC and Spinel™, which we plan to employ in our own catalyst coatings and commercialize more broadly with other industry coaters in a proprietary powder form. Initial tests reveal that BMARS delivers superior oxides of nitrogen (NOx) reduction on modern turbo-charged gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines compared to OEM catalysts, and the potential to greatly simplify an automotive exhaust system by reducing a two-catalyst system to a single catalyst."

On the 88 million passenger cars produced annually, rhodium (Rh) is the key PGM used to drive NOx conversion in gasoline three-way catalysts. Automotive OEMs spend approximately $1 billion per year on Rh according to information derived from Johnson Matthey's PGM Report – November 2014. The auto industry's reliance on Rh has helped fuel significant price volatility in the past, with prices ranging from $890 to $10,100 per troy ounce during the past 10 years. Recently, Rh has been near historic lows, averaging $1,127 per troy ounce during the first half of May 2015. Without innovations like BMARS, Rh prices could surge as automakers increase usage in order to meet the 80% NOx reduction requirement under the EPA's new Tier 3 regulations, and as OEMs move toward more fuel-efficient turbo-charged GDI engines and hybrids.

Benchmark testing of BMARS technology was conducted on a model year 2014 Buick vehicle with a 2.0 liter engine and on a 1.6 liter engine from a model year 2012 BMW Mini using industry standard Federal Test Procedure (FTP) aging and test protocols. Both are turbo-charged GDI engines, with the Buick's OEM catalyst certified to EPA's Tier 2 Bin 4 standard and the BMW Mini's OEM catalyst certified to the EURO 5 standard. Initial tests demonstrated BMARS has the potential to significantly reduce the PGM loading on the catalyst while still achieving tailpipe regulations for NOx, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons (HC). The activation of Rh by the new technology enabled the reduction of palladium (Pd) loadings as well as Rh. In addition, BMARS demonstrated greater oxygen storage capacity (OSC), which is vital for calibration and on-board diagnostics of emissions systems.

Consistent with the Company's stated advanced materials strategy, several patents have been filed on BMARS compositions, processes and applications. Commercialization efforts for OEM and aftermarket applications of BMARS powder-based catalysts are well underway. Meanwhile, vehicle and engine testing continues on other CDTi advanced catalyst materials, including Spinel™, with more interim results soon to be announced.

Benchmark Testing of EPA Tier 2 Bin 4 Certified Catalyst System

http://media.globenewswire.com/cache/9503/file/34449.pdf

For more information on CDTi's BMARS technology, please visit www.cdti.com/bmars.

About CDTi

CDTi manufactures and distributes vehicle emissions control products that leverage its advanced materials technology. CDTi utilizes its proprietary patented Mixed Phase Catalyst (MPC®) technology and other related technologies to provide high-value sustainable solutions to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency and lower the carbon intensity of on- and off-road combustion engine systems. Reflecting its continued focus on innovation, CDTi is developing and commercializing proprietary advanced low-platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts including synergized-PGM (SPGM™), as well as zero-PGM (ZPGM™) catalysts. CDTi is headquartered in Oxnard, California and has operations in the U.K., Canada, France, Japan and Sweden. For more information, please visit www.cdti.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including any statements that are not statements of historical fact. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "may", "will", "would", "intends", "estimates", "promises", and other similar expressions, whether in the negative or affirmative. Forward-looking statements are based on a series of expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections which involve substantial uncertainty and risk. In this document, the Company includes forward looking statements regarding plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, opportunities, future economic conditions, value propositions, CDTi's intentions to commercialize technology, planned applications, anticipated benefits of CDTi's products and technologies, and expected results and developments. In general, actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited, to (i) the failure of CDTi's products and technology to achieve anticipated results; (ii) that the Company may not be able to (a) decrease costs, (b) increase sales, (c) obtain adequate funding, (d) retain or secure customers and dependence on a few major customers, (e) protect its intellectual property, (f) successfully evolve into an advanced materials supplier or, even if successful, increase profitability, (g) successfully market new products; (h) obtain product verification or approvals, (i) attract or retain key personnel, or (j) realize benefits from investments; (iii) prices of PGM and rare earth metals; (iv) royalty and other restrictions on sales in certain Asian countries; (v) supply disruptions or failures; (vi) regulatory, marketing and competitive factors; (vii) environmental harm or damages; (viii) changes in domestic and international market and political conditions; and (ix) other risks and uncertainties discussed or referenced in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent the Company's estimates only as of the date of such statements and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates as of any subsequent date. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

CONTACT: Becky Herrick or Cathy Mattison
         LHA (IR Agency)
         +1 415 433 3777
         [email protected]
         [email protected]

Source: Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc.

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