2014: The Westport Year in Review

As 2014 wraps up, we’d like to highlight some of the key announcements over the past 12 months. From the recent acquisition of Prins Autogassystemen to the unveiling of Westport’s first generation of an enhanced spark-ignited (ESI) natural gas system, the company continues to innovate new ways to enable a transition to natural gas-powered transportation.

December 
 Westport acquires Netherlands-based Prins Autogassystemen Holding B.V. Founded in 1986, Prins is a leading developer of high quality alternative fuel systems powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or propane), compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty applications. Prins operations in Europe will be combined under the Westport Applied Technologies business unit.

October
The Weichai Westport HPDI 12-litre engine receives China V emissions certification from the National Passenger Car Quality Supervision & Inspection Center two generations ahead of the current emission regulations.

Westport offers fleets interested in the Westport WiNG™ Power System Ford Transit Van a free demonstration program for up to two weeks, designed to give the experience and benefits of operating on compressed natural gas (CNG). The Transit Van is offered with a gaseous prep 3.7L V6 engine at 10,000 GVW and below.

During the quarter, Westport delivered 40 shuttle buses powered by the Westport WiNG™ Power System to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The airport operates a total fleet of about 1,000 vehicles and approximately 450 of those are alternative fuel vehicles, half of which are powered by the Westport WiNG™ Power System, including pickup trucks and shuttle buses.

Westport’s latest addition to its alternative fuel industrial engines, a 3.8L engine that operates on either liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or natural gas (NG), is displayed at the High Horsepower Summit in New Orleans.

Cummins Westport Inc. (CWI) announces that Rob Neitzke, currently General Manager of the Construction Segment of Cummins off-highway engine business, has been appointed as President of CWI effective January 1, 2015.

September
Westport unveils its first generation of an enhanced spark-ignited (ESI) natural gas system. The new revolutionary approach to natural gas combustion technology is designed to provide vehicle and engine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with a "downsized" natural gas solution that is cost competitive while providing similar levels of power, torque, and fuel economy to a larger diesel engine.

Westport announces an update to its Westport high pressure direct injection (Westport™ HPDI) second generation or "HPDI 2.0" development program. Expected to provide dramatically better system costs and better compatibility with advanced diesel engine platforms, a key component of the HPDI 2.0 system is a brand new family of high pressure fuel injectors, co-developed with Delphi Automotive PLC (Delphi), designed to provide better cost, smaller size and improved packaging compared to prior generation Westport™ HPDI injector designs.

August
Jill Bodkin is elected Chairman of the Board of Directors. Former Chairman, John Beaulieu, remains on the board as a director and awarded the title: Chairman Emeritus.
"My Board leadership will draw on my life's work - building partnerships in international capital markets," "Our Board is committed to building enduring value for Westport," said Ms. Bodkin. "The Board is proud of Westport's people, who today deliver the best of alternative fuel engines and vehicle systems and maintain a lead at the forefront of a global shift to natural gas in all forms of transportation."

July
Westport launches the Weichai Westport WP12 engine and initiates development of WD10 engine with Westport™ HPDI 2.0 technology.

Kroger announces the purchase of 40 LNG trucks featuring the Westport iCE PACK LNG Tank System and the Cummins Westport ISX12 G engine.

India’s Maruti Suzuki introduces the Celerio Green, a five passenger, bi-fuel car that runs on CNG and gasoline, featuring Westport's natural gas components.

Two LNG tenders are delivered to Canadian National Railway.

June
Ashoka Achuthan is appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Westport. Bill Larkin is appointed to Vice President, Corporate Development, focusing on strategic initiatives and investments, and development agreements.

Yang Guang is appointed to the position of President, Asia Pacific to oversee Westport’s Asia Pacific business operations, sales, marketing, engineering, production, and service activities which include China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan), India, Korea, Japan, Australia and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

May
Westport debuts the only California Air Resources Board and EPA certified Ford F-150, featuring the Westport WiNG™ Power System, at the Alternative Clean Transportation Expo (ACT) in Long Beach.

Ford F-250 and F-350 super duty trucks with the Westport WiNG™ bi-fuel CNG system receive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certification for its 2015 model year.

Westport and Tata Motors Limited launched a new spark-ignited (SI) natural gas 3.8L turbocharged engine featuring the Westport WP580 Engine Management System (EMS). Westport also unveiled its newest proprietary technology, Westport gas enhanced methane diesel (Westport GEMDi™) targeted for medium-duty trucks and buses in India.

April
Final customer validation units of the next generation Westport high pressure direct injection (Westport™ HPDI 2.0) on the Weichai Westport WP12 engine platform are launched. The Weichai Westport WP12HPDI is China’s first engine featuring Westport HPDI technology, delivering the power and performance of the base diesel engine, while replacing up to 95% of diesel fuel with cleaner burning, less expensive natural gas.

March
Westport announces a joint development agreement with Delphi Automotive PLC to help entrench Westport high pressure direct injection (Westport™ HPDI) as the leading natural gas technology platform for heavy-duty engine applications.

Westport unifies its bi-fuel and dedicated natural gas fuel system products and body configurations for Ford vehicles under the Westport WiNG™ Power System product brand name.

February
Westport unveils its newest proprietary technology -- Westport gas enhanced methane diesel (Westport GEMDi™). Westport GEMDi technology enables engine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to offer a fully integrated, high performance engine optimized for dual fuel operation.

Tata Motors Limited, India's largest automobile company, launches a new spark-ignited (SI) natural gas 3.8L turbocharged engine featuring the Westport WP580 Engine Management System (EMS).

Partners for Good: Toys for Tots Program

Thank you for your support!

This holiday season, Westport Dallas has been working with our vehicle “Stocking Program” business and community partners to fill Christmas stockings by collecting new, unwrapped toys for the Dallas Forth Worth Toys for Tots program. We’d like to extend a very big thank you to our partners, customers and anyone else who dropped off a toy – including the mystery donors!

Closing the Loop: Fueling Trucks with the Organic Waste They Pick Up

When you placed your food waste at the curb last time, did you consider the journey it’s about to take? You could find it coming back down your street the next month as the fuel in the truck that picks up that week’s organic waste. That’s closer to Doc’s “flux capacitor” from the 1985 movie Back to the Future than most people ever imagined – and the fuel is powering trucks on American roads and around the world right now.

Biogas, or natural gas from organic sources, has been used for decades and was recognized as a renewable source for electricity. In the intervening years, natural gas fuel stations and the natural gas vehicle base has expanded, opening up the market for renewable natural gas (RNG) use in transportation.

Refuse operations across North America are embracing the opportunity to fuel trucks with the very waste they pick up. The RNG created with processed organic matter such as food scraps (or in other cases landfill gas) can power trucks equipped with a natural gas engine such as Cummins Westport ISX 12G or ISL G engines.

In North America, fleets and energy partnerships from Georgia to Quebec to California are embracing the concept, saving waste and money in the process. The vehicles operating on RNG from organic sources include refuse or sanitation trucks, pickup trucks, utility vehicles, and tractors.

The Columbus, Ohio quasar biodigestion facility

Kroger Announces Delivery of First LNG Trucks

The Kroger Co. and its division of Fred Meyer Stores, marked the delivery of the first 11 Freightliner trucks, which will be fueled by liquefied natural gas, at a press conference in Clackamas, in the Greater Portland area, on December 4, 2014. The new LNG trucks will replace 40 diesel trucks currently in use, and will deliver product from Corvallis, Ore., and as far north as Longview, Washington.

“The trucks are out there running now and they’re doing well,” says Fred Meyer Fleet Manager Nick Brocato. “They are delivering a variety of loads -- everything and anything that Fred Meyer Stores offer.”

Each of Fred Meyers’ new LNG trucks will drive approximately 175 miles (282 km) per day, six days a week, 52 weeks a year, delivering products along routes which run from Corvallis, Ore., to Longview, Washington.

Truckloads of Toys for Girls and Boys with DFW Toys for Tots

Westport Dallas is filling stockings for less fortunate children this holiday season by working with our vehicle “Stocking Program” business and community partners to collect new, unwrapped toys December 1st through 12th for the Dallas Forth Worth Toys for Tots program.

Westport and local Dallas partners – All Size Supply Co., Stealth Industry, General Truck Body Manufacturing Company, and Pro Staff Administrative & Light Industrial Staffing – are collecting toys for the program. We’re challenging other partners, suppliers and natural gas industry groups to make this holiday season a happier time for their communities.

Please help Toys for Tots to bring toys to less fortunate kids by holding a toy drive at your location, or by donating a new, unwrapped toy at Westport Dallas, one of our partner locations, or any Toys for Tots drop box location.