Common rail: The development time line

Common rail engines have been used in marine and locomotive applications for over 50 years. The Cooper-Bessemer GN-8 (circa 1942) is an example of a hydraulically operated common rail diesel engine, also know as a modified common rail.

With talk of decreasing oil supplies and unstable oil prices,The need to develop new Diesel engines with lower emissions and higher Fuel efficiency became even greater.Large automotive companies including Robert Bosch GmbH, Fiat,Volvo and MTU, attempted (separately) to come up with the solution to this question

Common rail engines were first used by the Fiat subsidiary Alfa Romeo, and the technology is most commonly used by Fiat, under their MultiJet brandname. The engines are suitable for all types of road car, including small hatchbacks such as the Fiat Panda.

Bosch Common Rail injection system –
Milestones of development

1997:
First Common Rail system in the world for passenger cars.
Common Rail Injection pressure: 1,350 bar.
First production use: Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz.

1999:
Common Rail system for trucks.
pressure: 1,400 bar.
First production use: Renault (RVI).

2001:

2nd generation Common Rail for passenger cars makes diesel engines even more economical, cleaner, quieter and more powerful.
Common Rail Injection pressure: 1,600 bar.
First production use: Volvo and BMW.
2002:
2nd generation Common Rail for trucks gives lower emissions, improved fuel consumption and more power.
Common Rail Injection pressure: 1,600 bar.
First production use: MAN.

2003:
3rd generation Common Rail with rapid-switch piezo inline injectors for cars.
Advantages: up to 20 % lower emissions or up to 5 % more power or up to 3 % lower fuel consumption or up to 3 dB(A) less engine noise.
Common Rail Injection pressure: 1,600 bar.
First production use: Audi.

2008:

half of all new vehicles registered in western Europe are expected to be diesel-driven.

The 3rd generation Common Rail from Bosch is characterized by rapid-switch, compact piezo-inline-injectors. The innovative injection system provides for low exhaust emissions in the new V6 diesel engine of the Audi A8.
For its 4th generation of Common Rail for passenger cars Bosch is currently exploring designs using even higher injection pressures of more than 2,000 bar, as well as injectors with variable injection geometry.

The new VW Golf feature Common Rail pumps that Injection pressure exceeds 2000 bar