Westport Attending COP21 Events in Paris

One of two Canadian companies chosen to showcase innovative climate change solutions 

The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (COP 21), taking place now, is expected to attract more than 40,000 delegates from 195 countries.

As the political leaders leave Paris and policy makers focus on writing the framework, industry has been gathering to share ideas at Solutions COP21, which is taking place at Paris’ Grand Palais until December 10, 2015.

Wesptort's Nadège Leclercq speaks with Solutions COP21 attendees

Westport was invited to participate in an industry exhibition on innovative solutions to address climate change, presented by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and France’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). To demonstrate the important role that technology and collaboration play in the creation of climate change solutions, WIPO and INPI are presenting a 200 sq. m exhibit and holding discussion forums focused on climate change innovation. Westport is one of only two Canadian companies to be featured alongside more than 60 other innovators selected by WIPO and INPI from 70 countries worldwide.

Westport Presents New Tech and Solutions Set to Boost LPG Uptake

Westport’s Bart van Aerle presented two key factors set to positively impact the LPG sector at the Argus European LPG Markets 2015 Conference in London on Wednesday, November 25.

Bart van Aerle, CEO Prins Autogassytemen, presents at Argus Conference in London

Bart covered new developments for transportation solutions, such as Prins Direct LiquiMax and Prins Dieselblend products, that will enhance the use of LPG (also called propane autogas) within Europe and elsewhere, as well as some cost-effective, innovative solutions available in the market. 

Sustainable Building Meets Alternative Fuel Vehicles at Greenbuild 2015

In November, alternative energy and the building industry met in Washington, D.C. at Greenbuild, a premier event for sustainable building that includes conferences, education, and an exposition. Westport was there, featuring alternative fuel vehicles on display for two of our industry partners.

A Westport WiNG CNG-equipped Ford Transit Cargo Van was on display in the Ford booth at Greenbuild. The Ford Transit CNG is also available in the passenger Wagon model featuring up to 12-passenger seating available with rear CNG installation. Please contact your Westport Sales Representative for Transit Wagon specifications and seating capacity requirements.

Westport Teams with CleanFuel USA for Propane Autogas-Powered 2016 Ford F-150 to Boost Fleet Sustainability Efforts

Supporting Westport’s introduction of the F-150 propane truck this summer, we’re announcing our agreement with CleanFUEL USA®, an industry leader in propane autogas technology, to serve as a supplier for the Westport WiNG™ 2016 Ford 5.0L F-150. The Westport WiNG™ Power System will employ the CleanFUEL USA Liquid Propane Injection (LPI®) technology. Westport's F-150 with propane (also known as LPG) offers Ford QCM/QVM warranty protection with expected EPA and CARB certifications.

“CleanFUEL USA and Westport are both providing high quality, alternative fuel-powered fleet vehicles with lower emissions and vast economic benefits,” said Curtis Donaldson, founder and managing partner at CleanFUEL USA. “The Westport WiNG Power System propane offering demonstrates that, and we look forward to expanding our relationship with future opportunities.”

Westport Helps Cyclists Stay on Course during the Road World Championships

Cycling’s pinnacle event, the Road World Championships – also known as Worlds – is underway in 

Richmond, Virginia, USA and Westport’s Ford Transit van is on the move shuttling cyclists to and from their races.

Cycling’s pinnacle event, the Road World Championships – also known as Worlds – is under way in 

Richmond, Virginia, USA and Westport’s Ford Transit van is on the move shuttling cyclists to and from their races.

NGV Industry Shares Latest Developments at NGV Show in Denver

The who’s who of the natural gas vehicle (NGV) industry in North America is gathered this week in Denver, Colorado for the North American Natural Gas Vehicle Conference and Expo, hosted by NGV America.

Attendees visit the Westport booth at NGV Show 2015 in Denver

Two speakers from Westport will present at this year’s conference. Brad Douville will present methane as a performance fuel in the “Improving Performance: Advances in Powertrains, Pumps, Fill, and Range” session September 16 at 1:30 pm. In the “Retrofit Options for Cost-Effective Entry into the NGV Market” session at 3:20 pm, Paul Osbourn will present cost-effective retrofits for NGVs, also on September 16.

Making the Most of Your Fleet Budget: Alternative Fuel Vehicles & Other Savings

It’s budget time. Fleet managers are focused on their fleets and identifying savings to optimize operations for 2016 and beyond.

Here are some tips to facilitate the budgeting process and uncover opportunities to contain costs:

Leverage Volume & Vehicle Service

Fleet managers may be able to negotiate rebates from their vehicle maintenance providers based on volume. By developing a list of maintenance services each vehicle will need during its service life, fleet managers can ask their fleet management company to forecast prices for vehicle services in the next year and negotiate pricing based on the number of fleet vehicles.

Collins Bus Delivers First NEXBUS® CNG Type A School Bus to Pennsylvania School District

New natural gas-powered buses feature the Westport WiNG Power System.

Collins Bus Corporation has delivered the first four production units of its new NEXBUS® compressed natural gas (CNG) Type A school bus to the Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County, Pa. With more than half of its 117 vehicle fleet fueled by CNG, the Lower Merion School District boasts one of the largest fleets of alternative fuel school buses on the East coast.

“We are excited to see the delivery of the first Ford Factory OEM approved CNG Type A school bus,” said John Walsh, vice president of sales for ASV Bus, the parent company to Collins Bus. “The Collins NEXBUS CNG model demonstrates ASV’s commitment to meeting customer demands for environmentally friendly vehicles powered by clean alternative fuel systems that reduce carbon emissions.”

LNG to Meet More U.S. Fleet Needs with Tax Fix

Why are some U.S. fleets eager for winter? This summer’s big news for liquefied natural gas (LNG) means fleets running on the fuel will benefit beginning this winter. A new law in the United States was enacted to bring LNG excise taxes measured in line with diesel on an energy basis – using diesel gallon equivalents (DGE). The new law will effect January 1, 2016.

Instead of being charged tax by volume as has been in the past, LNG will be taxed on its energy equivalent relative to diesel. Based on the high-fuel-use applications that LNG most benefits, which compete mainly with diesel fuel, this creates more easily equalized comparisons for fleet operators, as well as the tax benefits.

Back-to-School Is Easy with Collins Type A School Bus Featuring Westport WiNG

Largest Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier Delivers Solutions with Collins Bus Corporation

The Back-to-School season is here and school districts are busy planning for the next academic year. For some school systems new transportation budgets may be identified, while others may need to replace old school buses unexpectedly.

In either case, school districts and municipalities are increasingly looking for school buses with alternative fuel options, such as compressed natural gas, to support their sustainability efforts while decreasing fuel costs.

Introducing Ford F-150 with Liquid Propane Alternative Fuel for Fleets

Alternative Fuel Provider Adds Diversity and Stability to Fleet Customers’ Supply Chain Plus the Convenience of an Underbody Tank

For fleet managers considering the popular Ford F-150 pickup truck, Westport now offers two alternative fuel options. Introducing a new dedicated, liquid propane system, along with Westport’s compressed natural gas (CNG) package for 2016 Ford 5.0L  F-150 trucks. Both fuel options are part of the Westport WiNG™ Power System and are expected to be certified to EPA and CARB standards.

“We understand that many fleets use different types of alternative fuels based on availability and business needs,” said Paul Shaffer, vice president and managing director of Westport’s Dallas operations. “By offering dedicated liquid propane in addition to bi-fuel and dedicated CNG vehicles, we are evolving to a full-service alternative fuel provider for fleets operating the popular Ford F-150 pickup truck. We are putting the needs of fleets first and delivering stability to our customers’ supply chain by offering diverse alternative fuel options.”

Westport aftermarket systems show Autopromotec visitors high performance capabilities

Offering high performance solutions for drivers are an Emer diesel duel fuel for heavy-duty and Prins LPG system for direct injection light-duty petrol engines

In Italy in May, Westport attended Autopromotec, a leading aftermarket event, showcasing its Prins and Emer brands.

Both Westport brands offer systems for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, or autogas) and compressed natural gas (CNG) for a wide range of engines. By using alternative fuels like CNG or LPG, drivers can immediately save fuel costs and reduce emissions such as CO2 and particulate matter. 

Bi-fuel Volvo V60 Hits the Road for World Gas Conference in Paris

On May 29, a brand new bi-fuel Volvo V60 leaves Göteborg, Sweden to visit Volvo dealers on the route to the World Gas Conference (WGC) 2015. Destination: Paris, France. The bi-fuel Volvo V60 and Westport representatives will visit dealers in Germany and Belgium, and reach Paris on May 31.

2016 bi-fuel Volvo V60

Westport’s new combustion technology in Volvo Car Group’s new Drive-E powertrain bi-fuel engine will be on display in a Volvo V60 at the WGC in area P77 from June 1 to 5. Read more about the new engine technology in the 2016 bi-fuel Volvo V60 announced earlier this year in the Westport news release.

On Thursday, June 4, hear Per-Inge Kruse speak about natural gas vehicles at the WGC Natural Gas for Transportation Village Seminars at 2:30 pm.

Bi-fuel Volvo V70 shows off during trip to Ireland with Gas Networks

Rodger O’Connor is an expert at finding solutions to problems. An engineer by training, his current challenge is to develop a market for natural gas transportation across Ireland, creating an environment friendly for both fueling stations and vehicles.

Rodger with the bi-fuel Volvo V70 on arrival in Ireland

In April, Rodger – Commercial Innovation Analyst with Gas Networks Ireland – decided to give the industry a push by borrowing a Volvo V70, powered with Westport’s bi-fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) system to give business and government leaders, along with fleet owners and staff, a chance to see the potential for natural gas vehicles in the country. 

Natural gas vehicles and Lone Star State hospitality for ACT Expo attendees

With a number of new product announcements for Westport and Cummins Westport, and a tour of our local installation facility, this year’s Alternative Clean Transportation Expo (ACT Expo) in Dallas was a busy event for Westport.

Westport's Paul Shaffer with the 2016 Ford F-150 at ACT Expo

Leading this year’s ACT Expo announcements was Ford’s unveiling of the model year 2016 Ford F-150, available with a gaseous prep package for compressed natural gas (CNG). As one of Ford’s leading Qualified Vehicle Modifiers (QVM), Westport provided a fresh-from-the-floor model for the announcement, featuring the Westport WiNG Power System, which allows the vehicle to operate in either dedicated CNG or bi-fuel options.

Westport Parts + Service Debuts at Automechanika in Chicago

Westport Parts + Service: combining technology, market experience and OE manufacturing excellence.

Natural gas vehicle fleets and drivers require the highest quality parts and service available to maintain their alternative fuel engine systems. Westport Parts + Service—a new division of Westport Innovations—is launching this week at Automechanika in Chicago. Automechanika Chicago is the largest tradeshow and training event for the Automotive Aftermarket industry.

The Westport Parts + Service booth #2724 at Automechanika Chicago

Westport Parts + Service also announces the opportunity for distributors to join us and our key partners in delivering reliable, accessible original engine (OE) quality parts and service to the growing North American natural gas vehicle market.

Energy Futures: Shell's Powering Progress and Eco-Marathon Events in Detroit

Panel Speakers at "Rethinking Mobility in an Urban World" (photo courtesy Shell)

By 2050, three-quarters of the world will live in urban centers. Cities could soon consume as much as 80 percent of the global energy supply. On April 9, 2015, with Detroit as the backdrop, Shell convened a group of leaders from business, academia, NGOs, and government to focus on the “urban nexus” - the vital connection among people, mobility and technology and the innovation that will foster sustainable future cities.

2016 Bi-Fuel Volvo V60 & V70 Unveiled: High Performance, Low Emissions

Westport launches 2016 Bi-fuel Volvo V60 and V70 in Gothenburg, Sweden

To celebrate the launch of the model year 2016 Volvo cars featuring the recently announced Drive-E featuring Westport natural gas combustion technology, Westport Sweden hosted an event March 25 and 26 at the Volvo test track in Göteburg (Gothenburg).

Ulf Möck of Volvo test drives the new 2016 bi-fuel Volvo

Volvo Cars is the first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to feature the new Westport system. It will be used on Volvo's new two-litre, direct injection, four-cylinder Drive-E powertrain family, which will be available on the Volvo V60 and V70 2016 models.

Students get all the way from Houston to Detroit with help from Westport Dallas CNG components

When University of Houston College of Technology students Roberto Guerra, Alberth Chavez, and Giovani Guzman  – known as Team Red Octane – entered the 2015 Shell Eco-marathon Americas, they knew they were in for a challenge. What they didn’t count on was how challenging it would be to find the critical compressed natural gas (CNG) parts needed for their entry, with only weeks left before the competition.

Team Red Octane: Roberto, Alberth, and Giovani

The team had entered in another category last year, but this year - as university engineering technology seniors who must complete this as a degree requirement - the expectations and demands are much higher. The CNG category is new to the Shell Eco-marathon, and their CNG Urban-Concept must be a realistic, four-wheel model with extensive specifications and prerequisites from the organizers.

Westport brands to display at GasShow Warsaw in Poland March 5-6, 2015

Westport brands offer fleets direct injection liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, or propane autogas) systems for mono, bi- and dual fuel applications, compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) systems, components and more.

Westport has a strong background in engineering the most advanced natural gas engines and vehicles for OEM customers. Therefore Westport – including Prins, Emer, OMVL, Valtek – can offer you an even bigger range of high quality products optimized for CO2 reduction, particulate reduction and saving fuel costs.

Colorado keeps alternative fuel vehicles on the road with grant program

Are you considering natural gas or other alternative fuel for your fleet in Colorado? There’s only one 

week left to apply for this cycle of Alt Fuels Colorado program funding.

With applications due March 3, 2015, funding of up to 80 percent of the incremental cost of a Class 2 to Class 8 alternative fuel vehicle is available in 11 Colorado counties.

The grant covers light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles – from pickups to refuse trucks – operated by public, private or non-profit fleets. Alternative fuel vehicles must be new, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) models powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or propane autogas), electricity (EV), or CNG bi-fuel.

Eligible fleets include those based, “in or near the Colorado ozone non-attainment and/or carbon monoxide maintenance areas” and operating at least 60 percent of the time in those areas.[1]

Westport Signs Supply Deal for LNG Pumps with Hema

New Supply Agreement with Hema provides a stable, affordable supply of fuel pumps for Westport’s natural gas fuel systems.

In January, Westport signed a long term supply agreement with Turkish manufacturer Hema Hidrolik to supply pumps for current and future heavy-duty customer applications.

Hema will manufacture and supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) pumps for Westport products such as the Westport iCE PACK™ LNG Tank System, a low pressure product offering many benefits to fleets including the use of either warm or cold LNG refueling.

“Hema believes in the future of the natural gas market and we are backing it up with investment in resources for manufacturing components such as Westport’s pumps,” says Ibrahim Hattat of Hema.

“Ensuring ready supply of quality fuel pumps for our customers is key to Westport,” noted Monica Feregrino, Westport’s Sr. Director, Purchasing & Supplier Development. “We are pleased to have support from our colleagues at Hema as we grow this industry.”

Hema facility in Turkey

Westport's Emer Introduces CNG Diesel Dual Fuel Poseidone System

On January 31, Emer, a Westport company, is introducing its Diesel Dual Fuel (DDF) Technology with CNG to a group of Italian fleets interested in natural gas vehicles. Named Poseidone System, the recently launched DDF technology is already in more than 120 engine types in 21 different countries.

The Emer Poseidone System is Europe’s only diesel and natural gas DDF system certified Euro V with plans to meet Euro VI standards in 2015. The system uses controller area network protocol, a vehicle bus standard, designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate within a vehicle, eliminating the need for a host computer. This allows specific calibration for optimum system performance. The system’s unique function also monitors diesel consumption during vehicle operation, minimizing harmful emissions.

Natural Gas is on a Roll - "Go With Natural Gas" Workshops

Guest blog post by Cameron Rittich
Western Hub Program Manager, Go with Natural Gas

The transport sector is increasingly interested in natural gas engines and the cost savings, environmental benefits, and noise reduction possible through their use. The Go with Natural Gas Hub in conjunction with the PIT Group (a group of FPInnovations) is determined to support this trend by encouraging its members, every organization in the transport industry and fleets, to take advantage of natural gas for medium and heavy duty trucks, by attending specialized workshops focused on natural gas vehicles (NGVs).

The workshops are free of charge and will provide information on:

• Comparing the properties, price, and environmental footprint of natural gas to that of diesel 
• Factors to consider when determining whether NGVs are suited for your needs 
• Evaluating your options and available technologies for filling stations 
• Considerations for maintenance facility modification or new construction 
• A fleet case study from an early adopter 

Free Webinar: The Advantages of CNG for Your School Bus Fleet Presented by Collins Bus and Westport

Switching to natural gas for transportation can provide a safer, cleaner and less expensive fuel option for a wide range of public transportation organizations such as school districts, child and senior care facilities, municipalities and other businesses that rely on the Type A school bus.

Fleets interested in learning more about the new Type A compressed natural gas (CNG) Collins Bus with the Westport WiNG™ Power System, can attend a free, live webinar on January 29, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. PST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. EST.