Westport Innovations Inc., developer and manufacturer of natural gas engines has delivered its 1Q Fiscal report with a clear message from David Demers, CEO of Westport. “We are expecting a step change in growth over the course of this year and remain confident the market for natural gas as a fuel in trucking is here and now – not five or ten years down the road.” The company maintains its revenue outlook for up to 30% year over year growth.
Highlights of the report include:
- In the first quarter of 2013, CWI shipped 1,313 units, Westport On-Road shipped three WestportTM 15L units and 204 Westport WiNGTM Power System units, and Weichai Westport Inc. (WWI) shipped 8,529 units.
- Westport and ENN Group signed an agreement for liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel for on-road, off-road, rail and marine applications.
- Westport and Clean Energy launched a co-marketing program to increase the use of LNG in trucking applications in North America and offer a bundled solution for the purchase of natural gas trucks.
- Cummins Westport ISX12 G engine was featured at the Mid-America Trucking Show, with new truck products shown for 2013 delivery. Production of the ISX12 G began on schedule in April.
- Announced the availability of the Ford F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks with the Westport WiNG Power System in Canada, and availability of the system in the Ford F-450 and F-550 platforms.
Demers says that with the new Cummins Westport ISX12 G engine being incorporated into so many new truck models and year-on-year improvements to infrastructure, demand for the new WestportTM LNG Tank System will grow. Also, “our Westport WiNGTM products have established a market leading position for performance, quality and value. We are expanding that offering into the larger F-450/550 models, and will be producing in Canada for the Canadian market in June.”
Demers is also upbeat about the extent of interest in the use of LNG in the rail industry, citing progress of the joint development project with Caterpillar for applications using WestportTM HPDI technology and the high commitment to building an LNG fuel distribution system dedicated to the rail industry as clear performance indicators.
In February, GAZ Group, the leader of the Russian commercial vehicles market, announced that it will launch a light commercial vehicle (LCV) featuring a bi-fuel engine into the Russian market. Compressed natural gas (CNG) components for this vehicle, which have been certified in accordance with European standards, will be supplied by Westport.
(Source: Westport Innovations, Inc.)
