Cummins Westport Inc. and Cummins India Ltd. Announce Order for 460 Natural Gas Engines

published: March 24, 2010

VANCOUVER,BC– Cummins Westport Inc. (“CWI”), a leading provider of high-performance, alternative fuel engines for the global market, and Cummins India Ltd. (“CIL”) announced today that CIL has received purchase orders for 460 natural gas engines to customers outside of Delhi. The B Gas Plus and B Gas International engines, powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), are licensed by CWI and manufactured by CIL.

“India continues to build its world leading eco-friendly transit fleet,” said Roe East, CWI’s President. “We are seeing orders from new customers in the region who have recognized our natural gas engines as best in class. Helping increase natural gas engine proliferation, the Indian government is getting behind the push for emission reductions with stimulus funding.”

The Government of India unveiled a transport stimulus package on February 3, 2009, to provide central funding to purchase buses for urban transport systems. The Ministry of Urban Development will provide financial assistance for purchasing public transport buses, as part of a national effort to reduce the use of private vehicles and control congestion. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM), a government program, has allocated $58 billion to 63 cities to help modernize and improve quality of life.

According to NGVAmerica, the New Delhi Natural Gas Vehicle Program has halved the air pollution in comparison to ten years ago.  Approximately 60,000 auto rickshaws inNew Delhi,Indiawere required to convert to compressed natural gas (CNG) for fuel.  A decade later, the government has issued a report hailing the success of the program, showing that, while the number of vehicles on the road has doubled, the pollution rate has halved.  Outside ofNew Delhi, ten other major Indian cities also have aggressive natural gas vehicle conversion programs.  As a result, the amount of petroleum used in the country has been cut dramatically from projected levels—a significant and cost-saving achievement for a country that has to import 70% of its diesel and gasoline.