Tata Motors has signed an agreement with Westport Innovations Inc, the global leader in natural gas engines, to develop an engine for light- and medium-duty trucks and buses. Details of the combustion technology have not been disclosed due to ‘competitive reasons’. Westport’s technology will be married to a new engine platform developed by Tata Motors.

“Westport is developing a next generation engine technology for integration into a new engine platform with Tata Motors,” said Nicholas Sonntag, Executive Vice President, Westport Innovations. “Our development schedule is accelerated and we believe it can be accomplished given the substantive market size and interest in natural gas vehicles in India," added Sonntag. Upon successful completion of the development phase, commercialisation is expected to follow, with Westport supplying key natural gas engine components based on the proprietary technology being developed in this program.

Ravi Pisharody, executive director – Commercial Vehicles Business Unit of Tata Motors, said, “As national CNG and LNG fueling infrastructure continues to develop a need for innovative, low cost, reliable technologies natural gas will emerge. Tata Motors is already in the forefront in this area.”

Westport Innovations Inc. is a leading global supplier of proprietary solutions that allow engines to operate on clean-burning fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, and renewable natural gas (RNG) fuels such as landfill gas and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Westport technology offers advanced LNG fueling systems with direct injection natural gas engine technology for heavy-duty vehicles such as highway trucks and off-road applications such as mining and rail.