VANCOUVER, BC (May 17, 2011) Westport Innovations Inc. (TSX:WPT / NASDAQ:WPRT), a global leader in alternative fuel, low-emissions transportation technologies, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) to evaluate direct injection, natural gas fuel system technologies for possible use on Caterpillar’s large engines. As part of the agreement, the parties will combine their respective technologies and components to develop a fuel system that will be evaluated on a multi-cylinder test engine. Through this evaluation project, Westport and Caterpillar are seeking to demonstrate that the integration of their respective direct injection, natural gas technologies can deliver the high performance and high efficiency requirements large engine applications will demand. Under the terms of the agreement, the evaluation is expected to be completed in 2012, with program expenses shared by both Caterpillar and Westport.
"We are excited to work with Caterpillar, the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives," said Bruce Hodgins, Vice President, Market Development of Westport Innovations. "This is a significant opportunity for both companies to demonstrate the viability of direct injection natural gas technology on large engines.”
“Caterpillar looks forward to working with Westport, a global leader in alternative fuel technologies, to evaluate how we may combine our respective technologies to enhance customer value in the markets we serve,” said M. Lou Balmer-Millar, Product Manager, Caterpillar Fuel Systems of Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar high horsepower engines are used in a variety of electric power, industrial, machine, marine and petroleum applications worldwide.
Westport Innovations Inc. is a global leader in alternative fuel, low-emissions technologies that allow engines to operate on clean-burning fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, and biofuels such as landfill gas. Our unique technologies reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) while preserving the power, torque, and fuel efficiency of diesel engines. The Company focuses on three distinct categories or target markets – light-, medium-, and heavy-duty – through Westport business units or joint ventures. Juniper Engines is focused on 2.4L engines for industrial applications such as forklifts, oilfield service engines and light-duty automotive. Cummins Westport (CWI), a joint venture with Cummins, sells the world's broadest range of low-emissions alternative fuel engines for commercial urban fleets such as buses, refuse trucks and vocational vehicles ranging from 5.9L to 8.9L. Westport Heavy Duty (Westport HD), our proprietary development platform, is engaged in the engineering, design and marketing of natural gas-enabling technology for the heavy-duty diesel engine and truck market. 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
