WESTPORT SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA’S GAZ GROUP TO DEVELOP CNG VEHICLES

Westport Innovations has announced an agreement with GAZ Group, a Russian manufacturer of commercial vehicles, to design and develop spark ignited natural gas systems for a range of GAZ Group CNG commercial vehicles. Westport’s new WP580 Engine Management System will be applied to GAZ’s YaMZ-530 4.4L and 6.6L diesel engines and will incorporate Westport proprietary components and technology. The WP580 Engine Management System is a configurable system that can be integrated with a wide range of proprietary Westport fuel system components for flexible vehicle design and production. The first products of the multi-year development and supply agreement will be introduced in commercial production later this year. Recently, the Russian government has supported the transition to using natural gas as a transportation fuel by proposing large incentives and reduced tax rates.