~New System Improves Performance, Extends Range and
Reduces Costs, Begins Shipping by mid-2013 ~
VANCOUVER,
Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Westport
Innovations Inc. (TSX:WPT) (NASDAQ:WPRT), the global leader in
natural gas engines, today announced a unique on-board storage
solution that provides best in class performance for vehicles using
liquefied natural gas (LNG). The new Westport™ LNG Tank System,
will be available in 120 and 150 gallon capacities, is optimized
for spark ignited (SI) engines and begins shipping by mid-2013. The
Westport LNG Tank System features proprietary Westport technology and is expected to provide
customers with the ability to fuel even the largest SI engines on a
single tank and deliver extended range.
Key characteristics of the new Westport LNG Tank System:
- Current industry standard systems require two LNG tanks to
operate effectively with larger SI engines and require warm
(saturated) LNG. The Westport LNG Tank System is optimized for
trucks running even the largest SI engines, reducing the overall
fuel system costs and weight dramatically with the single-tank
option.
- The 120 gallon or 150 gallon single-tank systems can run for
approximately 350 to 450 miles, respectively, on cold (unsaturated)
LNG fuel. Those ranges double for dual-tank configurations.
- Fuel-flexibility with the ability to carry both cold and warm
LNG.
- By carrying fuel as cold LNG, the Westport LNG Tank System can
increase fuel storage times and improve vehicle range by up to 10
percent.
- Universal system design allows for any original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) to integrate.
- Compared to existing compressed natural gas (CNG) options, a
single 150 gallon Westport LNG Tank System takes the place of three
standard CNG tanks, lowering fuel storage costs and reducing
overall vehicle weight by approximately 600 lbs.
Additionally, LNG has shorter refuelling times compared to
CNG.
- Customers receive a two year / 250,000 mile warranty along with
access to field service from Westport-trained personnel.
- Westport Active System Management features proprietary control
algorithms and connects with standard engine controllers to allow
fuel delivery to match driving patterns.
- An advanced driver display that indicates not only the LNG fuel
levels, but also status and diagnostic information about the tank
and integrated pumps.
- Fleets with a combination of SI and Westport™ HPDI trucks can
now rely on the same LNG refuelling infrastructure due to the
system's fuel-flexible capabilities.
"Our early production systems tested with the Cummins Westport
ISX12 G in a Peterbilt 384 truck have proven to have excellent
performance characteristics and superior operating results on a
single tank," said Steve Anderson,
Westport HD Vice President of Business Development. "We believe
this is the only on-board fuel system for LNG-fueled engines that
can operate on a single tank using range-extending cold LNG."
"Thanks to the flexibility and range of the Westport LNG Tank
System, fleet operators can now use the same cold LNG and
technology across their fleet in a range of vehicle and engine
sizes," said Anderson.
About Westport Innovations Inc.
Westport Innovations Inc. is a leading global supplier of
proprietary solutions that allow engines to operate on
clean-burning fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied
natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, and renewable natural gas (RNG) fuels
such as landfill gas and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions
(GHG). Westport technology offers
advanced LNG fueling systems with direct injection natural gas
engine technology for heavy-duty vehicles such as highway trucks
and off-road applications such as mining and rail. Westport's joint venture with Cummins Inc.,
Cummins Westport Inc. designs, engineers and markets spark-ignited
natural gas engines for North American transportation applications
such as trucks and buses. Westport LD division is one of the global
leaders for natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel in
passenger cars, light-duty trucks and industrial applications such
as forklifts. To learn more about our business, visit our website
or subscribe to our RSS feed at www.westport.com, or follow us on
Twitter @WestportWPRT.
This press release contains forward-looking statements,
including statements regarding the timing for availability of
the referenced LNG tanks, driving ranges and expected tank
capacities, the performance and competitiveness of Westport's products and expansion of product
coverage, future market opportunities as well as Westport management's response to any of the
aforementioned factors. These statements are neither promises nor
guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties
and are based on both the views of management and assumptions that
may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements to be materially different from any future results,
levels of activities, performance or achievements expressed in or
implied by these forward looking statements. These risks,
uncertainties and assumptions include risks and assumptions related
to the effectiveness of and our ability to deploy our technology,
our revenue growth, operating results, industry and products, the
general economy, conditions of and access to the capital and debt
markets, governmental policies and regulation, technology
innovations, the availability and price of natural gas and
natural gas refuelling infrastructure, global government
stimulus packages, the acceptance of and shift to natural gas
vehicles, the relaxation or waiver of fuel emission standards, the
inability of fleets to access capital or government funding to
purchase natural gas vehicles, the development of competing
technologies, as well as other risk factors and assumptions that
may affect our actual results, performance or achievements or
financial position discussed in our most recent Annual Information
Form and other filings with securities regulators. Readers should
not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements,
which speak only as of the date they were made. We disclaim any
obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect
any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or
circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that
may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from
those set forth in these forward looking statements except as
required by National Instrument 51-102. The contents of any
website, RSS feed or Twitter account referenced in this press
release are not incorporated by reference herein.
SOURCE Westport Innovations Inc.