Westport at IAA: hydrogen for internal combustion engines

Westport Fuel Systems has announced the unveiling of its new H₂ HPDI fuel system. For the first time in Europe, Westport will exhibit its heavy demonstration vehicle, equipped with an H₂ HPDI fuel system, at IAA Transportation 2022, in Hanover, Germany, from 20 to 25 September 2022.

H₂ HPDI is designed for use in internal combustion engines. The system, when powered by hydrogen, offers more power and torque than diesel, drastically reducing emissions. It offers numerous advantages:

• Up to 20% more power than diesel

• Up to 18% more torque than diesel

• CO₂ emissions close to zero

• Preserves existing diesel engine architecture

• Preserves existing infrastructure and investments for the production of internal combustion engines

• Lower cost to achieve compliance with CO₂ emission limits

“Today we unveil to the European public a new solution for reducing CO₂ emissions in heavy transport. Westport’s H₂ HPDI fuel system powers an internal combustion engine and turns innovation into answers, creating that sustainability we are very proud of,” said David Johnson, CEO, Westport Fuel Systems. “We like to think of it as a turning point, but without changes in the architecture of the engines and production systems of the OEMs. Our technology performs better than that of diesel engines, with almost zero CO₂ emissions, all using existing financial investments and production infrastructures.”

Westport: decarbonising Europe

The European Union has set the goal of 2050 for achieving the goal of becoming carbon neutral; hydrogen is expected to play a substantial role in the decarbonisation strategy in the heavy-duty vehicle sector. According to data from the European Commission, about 20% of the future overall transport fuel mix will come from hydrogen, with a further 20% composed of low-carbon synthetic fuels derived from hydrogen. Westport’s H₂ HPDI fuel system is a cost-effective, near-zero CO₂ solution. 

OEMs will be able to continue using existing internal combustion engines, fueling them with hydrogen, and thus leveraging their investments in vehicle drive system design, supply chain and production.

Engines equipped with this fuel system offer superior performance over spark ignition H₂ ICE systems and diesel engines, including higher efficiency and power density, as well as lower operating costs. In the heavy-duty environment, the H₂ HPDI power system is expected to meet or exceed the performance and efficiency of fuel cells.

Lower investment, better performance – a game changer, with no changes

H₂ HPDI uses existing production infrastructure, a key factor in the short-term sustainability of decarbonisation solutions. Minimizing public and private investment on the road to decarbonisation is a key factor for rapid and real change. H₂ HPDI will allow OEMs to make a big change in their offer, a benefit for the industry and the environment.

HPDI is already operational on the roads

Westport’s mission is to drive innovation to power a cleaner tomorrow. The H₂ HPDI guarantees even better performance, thanks to Westport’s experience with HPDI powered by LNG, which is already available today on several heavy-duty models, and equips thousands of vehicles already on the road today.

Westport’s LNG HPDI fuel system gives OEMs the flexibility to easily differentiate their natural gas and biogas product ranges, while maintaining full commonality with conventional engines and transmission lines.

An engine equipped with an HPDI LNG fueling system, fueled with a mix of 60% fossil natural gas and 40% biogas, offers the same CO₂ reductions typical of the life cycle of fuel cells that use blue/green hydrogen mixtures. .

It is possible to achieve zero net CO₂ emissions, with a WTW (Well to Wheel) approach, using 100% biogas which is now the predominant fuel for heavy GNL vehicles in many parts of Europe.