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United States : Caterpillar enters a collaboration with Westport
Publish Date : 08-Jun-2012
Caterpillar Inc. has entered a collaboration with Westport Innovations Inc. to develop a natural-gas fuel system for off-road vehicles, which include mining trucks and locomotives. The project will be funded by Caterpillar.
The research goals will be new and the present Cat engines for mining trucks and locomotives, though Caterpillar\'s other off-road vehicle engines also will get developed along with combustion technologies and fuel systems.
Development programs will be launched immediately, and commercial production would wait for around five years.
Westport\'s HPDI technology may feature in this Caterpillar-funded project.
Westport CEO David Demers, CEO stated : \"This is a significant opportunity that has the potential to transform important segments of the global off-road equipment industries. The substantial price difference between natural gas and diesel fuel is resulting in a strong financial incentive to enable off-road applications to take advantage of low natural gas energy costs without sacrificing operational performance.â€
Demers also expected environmental benefits for Caterpillar and its customers, noting the prospect of converting current Cat vehicles to natural gas power.
Caterpillar Large Power Systems division v.p. Steve Fisher stated : \"Many of our customers are asking for natural-gas powered equipment in order to reap the financial and environmental benefits. The program positions Caterpillar to become the first manufacturer to bring Westport HPDI technology to the high-horsepower off-road market, offer the broadest product line of natural gas-fueled machines and equipment, and capitalize on the attractiveness of natural gas as an alternate mobile fuel - all within the shortest time frame for our customers.\"
