Westport teams up with Russian automaker to develop new CNG fuel systems
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Working with GAZ Group to develop systems for pair of diesel engines for commercial applications
VANCOUVER—Vancouver’s Westport Innovations has inked a deal with Russia’s largest commercial vehicle maker to develop new natural gas systems for commercial vehicles.
According to Westport, its new WP580 engine management system will be applied to a pair of GAZ Group diesel engines set to roll off the assembly line in 2014.
The Vancouver-based firm’s engine management system and other components will be paired with GAZ’s YaMZ-530 4.4- and 6.6-litre diesel engines under the multi-year development and supply agreement.
“As the industry leader in Russia, GAZ and Westport have built a strong partnership over the last few years and we look forward to working with them to create this exciting next generation CNG product line,” Westport executive vice-president Elaine Wong said in a statement.
“Our new WP580 Engine Management System is an excellent platform for this program and we expect we can deliver superior performance and economics for GAZ customers at a time when market interest in CNG vehicles is increasing rapidly for GAZ vehicles, in Russia and many other markets.”
The WP580 engine management system, being introduced in Russia for the first time, is a highly configurable system that has been specifically developed for spark ignited, dedicated natural gas engine applications and can be integrated with a wide range of proprietary Westport fuel system components for flexible vehicle design and production
Its advanced combustion control technology can optimize the engine for class leading fuel economy whilst meeting existing and future emissions and onboard diagnostic requirements, according to Westport.
