B.C. Firm To Supply BMW with Hydrogen Hardware

Westport Innovations Inc. of Vancouver, B.C., has announced that it has signed a collaborative agreement with BMW AG of Munich, Germany to support BMW’s hydrogen vehicle engine development program.
Under the agreement, Westport will provide fuel injection hardware and engineering support, including a set of prototype Westport hydrogen fuel injectors.
BMW AG will use a research engine to test the Westport fuel injectors. Westport retains the intellectual property rights for the injectors, a revised version of Westport’s patented and proprietary direct injection technology for light-duty natural gas engines. BMW AG will substantially fund the costs of this program.
“BMW is the acknowledged world leader in hydrogen internal combustion engines,” said David Demers, Westport’s president and CEO. “Westport natural gas injectors, and our direct injection experience, are the perfect stepping stones to the development of high performance hydrogen fuel systems.”
Patric Ouellette, Westport’s chief scientist, added, “natural gas, because it is economic and available today, is a more immediate solution for low-emissions engines. As hydrogen infrastructure develops, we think hydrogen engines will provide better performance than the combination of fuel cells and electric engines for clean-energy vehicles.”
The cost of the BMW program and the price for the Westport hardware and engineering support were not disclosed. The agreement runs to September 2003.