BRUSSELS, BELGIUM and LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY--(Marketwire - March 23, 2012) - WABCO Holdings Inc. (NYSE:WBC), ([ www.wabco-auto.com ]) a global technology leader and tier-one supplier to the commercial vehicle industry, today announced that its OptiDrive™ system, a breakthrough in automated manual transmission technology, continues to gain global acceptance among major manufacturers of transmissions, trucks and buses.

Superbly engineered as a modular system, OptiDrive reduces by 50 percent the development time required for transmission and original equipment manufacturers to apply it to their respective product platforms. OptiDrive received an Automotive News PACE™ award in 2010 for product innovation.

WABCO's OptiDrive improves vehicle control and reduces fuel consumption by as much as five percent through optimized gear shifting. OptiDrive also improves driver effectiveness, particularly among less experienced drivers, by automating and optimizing gear shifting in 5- to 18-speed manual transmissions. It enhances vehicle safety by freeing drivers from frequent shifting, allowing them to further concentrate on traffic conditions. Less shifting also helps improve fuel economy and leaves an environmentally cleaner footprint.

"OptiDrive exemplifies our technology leadership and it differentiates WABCO as we are the industry's only independent manufacturer of compressed air-powered automated manual transmission systems," said Nikhil Varty, WABCO Vice President, Americas. "OptiDrive's highly modular and flexible adaptation is also a major advancement for makers of transmissions and vehicles as it saves significant development time. Since 2008 we have a growing list of globally operating customers that have adopted OptiDrive systems in series production."

Among the several major original equipment manufacturers using OptiDrive technology are China National Heavy Truck Corporation, one of China's largest producers of heavy duty trucks; Shaanxi Fast Gear Company, the world's largest manufacturer of heavy duty transmissions, and Ashok Leyland, India's second largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles.

WABCO Breakthroughs

As the technology leader in the global commercial vehicle industry, WABCO's breakthroughs include, among other vehicle safety and efficiency technologies, the first autonomous emergency braking system (AEBS), the first collision mitigation system (CMS) with active braking, and the first electronic stability control (ESC) system. WABCO also pioneered the industry's first electronic braking system (EBS), the first electronically controlled air suspension (ECAS), the first automated manual transmission (AMT) system, the first anti-lock braking system (ABS), and the first high performance single-piston air disc brakes.

Founded in the United States in 1869 as Westinghouse Air Brake Company, WABCO is a U.S. public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

About WABCO

WABCO (NYSE:WBC) is a leading global supplier of technologies and control systems for the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicles. For over 140 years, WABCO has pioneered breakthrough electronic, mechanical and mechatronic technologies for braking, stability and transmission automation systems supplied to the world's leading commercial truck, trailer and bus manufacturers. With sales of $2.8 billion in 2011, WABCO is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. For more information, visit [ www.wabco-auto.com ].