Cummins, Westport in NG Joint Venture

Cummins and Westport Innovations have formed a 50/50 joint venture to develop and market low-emission, high-performance natural gas engines. Westport will contribute its high-pressure direct injection, or HPDI, technology and other proprietary natural gas systems to the joint venture. Cummins will provide its on-highway vehicle medium-duty spark-ignited natural gas engines and proprietary engine-related technologies.

Based in Vancouver, B.C, the joint venture will have design and marketing responsibility for all of Cummins existing medium-duty natural gas products, including the B5.9G, B5.9LPG, and C8.3G engines. In addition, the joint venture will offer HPDI-equipped ISX heavy-duty engines. These engines will continue to be made and distributed by Cummins.

The product will represent the first natural gas heavy-duty engine capable of generating up to 600 horsepower for the truck market, the companies say, offering “diesel-like” performance and reliability.

In 2000, Cummins sold over 1800 spark-ignited natural gas engines, ranging from 150 to 275 horsepower.