COLUMBUS, Ind. — Cummins and Vancouver, B.C.’s Westport Innovations have formed a joint venture to develop and market low-emissions, high performance natural gas engines.

Under the terms of the agreement, Westport will contribute its high-pressure direct injection (HPDI) technology and other proprietary natural gas technologies.

Cummins will contribute its on-highway vehicle medium- duty spark-ignited natural gas engines and proprietary, engine-related technologies for on-highway vehicles. It will also manufacture and sell the engines.

The joint venture is headquartered in Vancouver; its board consists of three representatives from Cummins and three representatives from Westport.

“There is increasing demand for natural gas powered products capable of demonstrating diesel-like performance and reliability in most of our markets,” says Tim Solso, Cummins chairman and chief executive officer.

“This joint venture combines the best of Westport’s and Cummins technologies in a business model that we believe will profitably capture significant share in those markets.”

For the first three years of the joint venture, Westport will contribute up to US$50 million in funding and investments. Westport’s existing technology development projects with other diesel engine manufacturers are not affected by the agreement with Cummins.

As for on-highway vehicle engines, the project will design and market all of Cummins’ existing medium-duty natural gas products, including the B5.9G, B5.9LPG and C8.3G engines. These products will continue to be manufactured and distributed by Cummins.

Additionally, the joint venture will offer the ISX heavy-duty engine series incorporating Westport’s patented HPDI technology.

This product will represent the first natural gas heavy-duty engine capable of generating up to 600 horsepower for the truck market.

The companies believe the HPDI technology “can provide cost effective solutions with diesel-like performance.”