VANCOUVER — Canadian manufacturer of alternative power engines, Westport Innovations, has signed a new joint partnership and funding agreement with Isuzu Motors Limited of Japan for the application of Westport’s Compressed Natural Gas Direct Injection (CNG-DI) technologies on Isuzu engines and commercial vehicles.

Isuzu will provide Westport with $1.5 million of new funding through 2006 to demonstrate up to 25 percent improved fuel economy over current spark-ignited CNG engines. Westport’s CNG-DI system on a 5-litre 4-cylinder Isuzu diesel engine will meet Japan’s emissions standard for 2009. Work will be performed in Isuzu and Westport engine laboratories in Japan and Canada.

Today’s current production Isuzu truck, the ELF CNG-MPI, already achieves extremely low exhaust emissions but with less efficient spark-ignited technology.

Westport technology offers ultra low exhaust emissions coupled with improved fuel economy by as much as 25 percent over spark-ignited engines.

“Our customers will see the benefits of lower fuel costs and ultra-low exhaust emissions from these new CNG-DI technologies we are advancing with Westport. Westport’s high-pressure direct injection of natural gas represents the future of NGVs,” said Masaru Odajima, executive, Isuzu Powertrain Engineering.

The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) announced its full-scale support for the move towards CNG use in vehicles, away from diesel vehicles, as they emit fewer harmful emissions.

Isuzu is celebrating its most successful year ever for commercial CNG vehicles (CNGVs) in 2005 in Japan and plans to introduce CNGVs in China and several Southeast Asian countries. Isuzu Motors. It also has a small slice of class 6 and 7 market share in the U.S.

Westport is the leading developer of environmental technologies that allow engines to operate on clean-burning fuels such as natural gas, hydrogen, and hydrogen-enriched natural gas. The company has technology development alliances in place with Cummins, Ford, MAN, BMW, and Isuzu.