Canada: Westport Announces New Product Enhancements on Its HD15L LNG Engine

Westport Innovations, the global leader in natural gas engines today announced a broad range of product enhancements to meet customer needs in its best-in-class solution for natural gas Class 8 trucks:

• Higher Horsepower and Torque -The Westport HD 15L will now be available in North America with up to 550 horsepower and 1850 lb-ft of torque, targeted for heavy haul vocations with the most demanding performance requirements. This power/torque option for North America now matches what has been available in Australia for over three years and over 10 million kilometers of rugged service. We expect availability of this enhancement in early 2013.

• Eaton Ultrashift Plus AMT – Automated manual transmission is now available in all Kenworth and Peterbilt configurations in North America for fleets that desire additional driver options.

• Heavy Front End – Available on Peterbilt Motors’ 367 SB, Westport HD now offers 16,000 lb front axles as demanded by a number of vocational applications.

• Emissions Aftertreatment Improvements – The Westport HD 15L will feature an optimized emissions equipment system, tailored specifically to the lower emissions profile of natural gas to reduce cost and weight and improve operation and reduce user intervention. Availability of these enhancements will commence during 2013.

“These product enhancements are in direct response to requests from customers that operate their trucks in the most demanding of applications, and further validate that Westport’s HD15L natural gas engine offers diesel-like performance in any environment,” said Clark Quintin, President of Westport HD. “We are building on our established leadership in technology development to deliver improved horsepower, torque, and fuel efficiency using low-cost natural gas, and are ideally situated to respond to the demands of the marketplace.“

With Westport HD15L-powered trucks in operation across 14 US states, four Canadian provinces, and Australia, Westport natural gas engines have towed full truck-loads for more than 10 years and 40 million miles, and collectively have saved customers millions of dollars in fuel costs.

“Westport is delivering on customer need by providing the most extensive natural gas offerings in the heavy duty transportation market today,” said Bill Kozek Vice President PACCAR / General Manager Peterbilt Motors Company. “Peterbilt applauds Westport’s commitment to ongoing development and improvements in natural gas engine technology, by providing the highest horsepower and torque rate available.”

“We are proud to have worked with Westport since 2008 in delivering our industry-leading Kenworth T800 chassis with Westport HD15L LNG power,” said Gary Moore, Vice President PACCAR / General Manager Kenworth Truck Company. “The T800 has been a very successful platform for customers seeking to reduce emissions and save money while operating on natural gas with Westport HD’s high performance 15L product. These enhancements will further expand the target customers looking for diesel performance on LNG.”

The Westport HD15L LNG engine is available today across the industry’s broadest range of Class 8 tractors, and features proven on road performance and fuel economy using lower-cost, clean, and domestically sourced natural gas. Westport HD15L product can be ordered in multiple configurations in Kenworth Truck Company’s T800 and Peterbilt Motors’ 386 (SmartWay included), 367, 367SB and 388 in North America, and Kenworth T409SAR, T659, and K200 in Australia.

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LNG World News Staff, May 16, 2012