Westport (WPRT), TUPY & AVL Team Up for Hydrogen-Fueled ICE
Westport Fuel Systems WPRT, TUPY and AVL List GmbH recently joined forces for developing a highly efficient hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) for heavy goods transportation.
TUPY is a global leading specialist in casting and machining of highly engineered structural components, including steering and transmission systems, for all types of vehicles such as cars, trucks and buses to agriculture and construction. AVL is the world's largest independent company for the development, simulation and testing of powertrain systems, and their integration into the vehicle.
Canada-based Westport is a developer, manufacturer and supplier of advanced alternative fuel systems and components. The company’s technology and products enable the use of gaseous fuels, such as natural gas, propane, renewable natural gas or hydrogen in combustion engines. The use of gaseous fuels instead of petroleum-based fuel reduces emissions and costs.
Partnership to Amplify the Use of Hydrogen Technology
Amid the heightening climate-change concerns, there is an emphasis by key markets around the globe to restrict carbon emissions from cars and trucks, which is contributing to development of both battery-enabled and hydrogen-fueled vehicles that might be widely available in recent times.
The heavy-duty truck sector has traditionally been arduous to decarbonize, owing to the difficulty of replacing diesel without compromising on vehicle performance. Nonetheless, with the potential for fast refueling, hydrogen is a promising medium for fueling zero-emission long-haul transportation applications and can be used to power fuel cells or ICEs.
Compared to fuel cell technology, hydrogen ICEs use the existing base engine technology to promote green transportation. The advent of this technology will help enhance the hydrogen fueling infrastructure.
With the latest collaboration, the companies aim to combine advanced material and casting technologies with the latest hydrogen ICE technology using high pressure direct injection (HPDI), thus taking advantage of hydrogen as an energy carrier for vehicles.
Powertrain efficiency is a crucial element to ensure affordable hydrogen truck and bus solutions. With this latest initiative, Hydrogen HPDI will offer original equipment manufacturers (OEM) a fast and affordable solution to carbon-neutral transportation, without compromising on vehicle efficiency and performance.
Through this partnership, AVL and TUPY will work together with Westport to increase efficiency and improve fuel consumption of the hydrogen ICEs.
To deal with high peak firing pressures, AVL will provide superior materials, casting and machining technologies. In fact, AVL successfully completed the development of the AVL Hydrogen Engine in collaboration with Graz University of Technology earlier this year.
TUPY’s technical know-how will prove to be rewarding in its latest partnership with AVL and Westport as the trio try to build a carbon-free and cost-efficient ICE.
Westport regularly undertakes collaborations to develop technologies and boost long-term prospects. Westport HPDI 2.0 features the only natural gas technology, while retaining the performance and efficiency of a diesel engine. The company has previously showcased successful start-up and trials of heavy-duty ICEs powered by hydrogen using HPDI.
The combination of Westport’s superior gaseous fuel system technologies with AVL’s prowess in the latest ICE technology and TUPY’s material and casting proficiency, the trio aspires to achieve stellar levels of power density, efficiency with competitive cost of ownership by building the world's most efficient hydrogen-fueled ICE. Primary results of this alliance are expected to arrive by early 2022.
Zacks Rank and Key Picks
Westport currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). Shares of the company have skyrocketed 245.7% in the past year, while the industry witnessed a rally of 5.8%.
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Better-ranked stocks in the same sector include Ford F, American Axle & Holdings AXL, and General Motors GM, each sporting a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), presently. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
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