Zero Emission Truck Power Concept

July 19, 2023 2 min read

This week has seen the announcement of a zero emission truck power concept tie-up between Volvo Group and Westport.

Westport has been a supplier of alternative fuel delivery systems and components for the global transportation industry for some time, including a joint venture with Cummins to produce natural gas engines in the early 2000s.

Volvo and Westport’s joint venture aims to accelerate the commercialisation and global adoption of Westport’s HPDI fuel system technology for long-haul and off-road applications. Westport’s HPDI fuel system will enable truck and engine makers to meet the regulatory requirements of Euro 7 and the US EPA.

While Volvo will be a key customer of the joint venture, the joint venture’s mandate will be to enhance commercialisation of HPDI through the addition of new trucking and equipment manufacturers as customers.

Westport will contribute current HPDI assets and activities including related fixed assets, intellectual property, and business into the joint venture. Volvo will acquire a 45 per cent interest in the joint venture for the sum of approximately $41 million plus up to an additional $66 million depending on the performance of the joint venture.

Volvo’s ambition is to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emission-enabled products, solutions, and services by 2040. Volvo says it believes that the future will demand diverse propulsion solutions for diverse applications to meet customers’ needs and environmental demands. Volvo advocates for a three-pronged approach: battery-electric, fuel-cell electric and internal combustion engines.

“Decarbonisation with internal combustion engines running on renewable fuels, especially with HPDI, plays an important part in sustainable solutions,” said Lars Stenqvist, Chief Technology Officer at Volvo. “HPDI has been on the road in Volvo trucks for over five years and is a proven technology that allows customers to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in LBG (liquefied biogas) applications here and now and is a potential avenue for hydrogen.”

Engines can achieve higher horsepower and torque by using direct injection and relying on high pressures in the combustion chamber for ignition. Thus, the characteristic of the engine using an HPDI fuel system is very similar to a diesel engine.

“Westport is advancing fuel system solutions to help our customers affordably address the most pressing challenge of carbon reduction, while continuing to utilise existing manufacturing infrastructure,” said David Johnson, CEO at Westport. “The joint venture with Volvo is a natural extension of both companies’ commitment to accelerating global carbon reduction and we are proud to partner with such a bold supporter of the future of the internal combustion engine.

“Combining our expertise strengthens HPDI’s position in the market and underscores Westport’s commitment to developing affordable fuel system technology that supports significant CO2 reductions in hard-to-abate sectors like heavy-duty transport and off-road applications, including a pathway to power equipment with zero carbon fuels like hydrogen.”