Westport Fuel Systems Inc.
Westport
Westport Fuel Systems is a leading supplier of advanced fuel delivery components and systems for a wide range of affordable alternative low-carbon fuels such as natural gas, biomethane, propane, and hydrogen.
ID: 772713229827-26
Lobbying Activity
Response to Car labelling evaluation
16 Apr 2024
At Westport Fuel Systems, we support the modernization of the European car labelling system and we advocate for the inclusion of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in car labels to provide a comprehensive view of a vehicle's environmental impact, from production to disposal. We suggest that this LCA-based labelling should be customized for each EU Member State, considering local conditions such as energy mix and infrastructure. This approach aims to enhance consumer awareness and drive sustainable choices, aligning with the European Green Deal and smart mobility strategies. We are eager to collaborate with the Commission to refine car labelling and promote sustainable consumer decisions in line with EU climate goals.
Read full responseMeeting with Elsi Katainen (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)
4 Jul 2022 · EU HDV Position Paper
Response to Evaluation and revision of the Weights and Dimensions Directive
18 Feb 2022
Westport Fuel Systems (Westport) welcomes the Commission’s assessment of the Commercial Vehicles Weights and Dimensions Directive. This Directive is an important element of the regulatory framework which ensures safety and environmental performance on our roads, and should be updated in line with latest technologies.
Westport recognizes the need for rules which can accommodate an ever-wider selection of technology options. While many of these technologies deliver substantial environmental savings, they can also come with weight and size penalties. As such, these rules must find the balance between encouraging sustainability without sacrificing on safety.
Retaining the current additional maximum permissible weight allowance of 1 tonne for CNG and LNG will continue to support the expansion of biomethane.
Westport notes that hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles can deliver substantial environmental benefits, but will incur a modest increase in weight from the associated fuel storage system similar to fuel cell vehicles. However, although hydrogen combustion engines may fall just outside of the current “zero emission” threshold set by the HDV CO2 Standards Regulation, they should be afforded an equal weight allowance to fuel cell vehicles.
For pure battery electric vehicles, the weight increase can be quite substantial. Careful consideration should be given to the maximum weight allowance that is offered in order to preserve payload but without compromising vehicle and road user safety.
When considering the European Modular System to enable higher capacity loads in pursuit of improvements in freight movement efficiency, internal combustion engines, including those fuelled by hydrogen and biomethane, are the most appropriate powertrains for oversized loads (up to 60 tonnes, including across two containers, and any longer and heavier combinations of standard vehicles). In doing so they can reduce the total number of vehicles on the road, increasing efficiency and delivering environmental benefits. The review of the Weights and Dimensions Directive must consider how this and other differences in performance should be reflected in the incentives set by EU legislation.
In light of the above, Westport Fuel Systems stresses the following elements for the review of the Directive:
• The first priority of the new Directive must be the safety of vehicles on the road
• Current flexibilities for all alternatively fuelled vehicles, as defined in the current Directive, must be retained
• New flexibilities should not be limited to only “zero emission vehicles”; allowances for hydrogen internal combustion engines should be similar to those for fuel cell vehicles
• The Commission should consider evidence on the overall system impact of flexibilities and resulting incentives, not just on individual vehicles’ performance
Read full responseResponse to Extension of scope of procedures for determination of CO2 emissions of heavy-duty vehicles
11 Nov 2021
In the attached document, please find feedback from Westport Fuel Systems Inc (www.wfsinc.com)
Read full responseResponse to Revision of the CO2 emission standards for cars and vans
26 Nov 2020
The recently published 2030 Climate Plan by the European Commission would increase the overall GHG emissions reduction target for 2030 from -40% up to -55% (vs 1990 level). The long-term reduction goal for 2050 remains unchanged, but the new plan asks for an accelerated ambition across multiple sectors in the next decade. This acceleration is expected to be reflected in the revision of the CO2 emissions standard for cars and vans regulation (2019/631).
Today, this regulation not only misses the technology neutrality principle, but favours a technology switch based on the inaccurate classification of “zero” and “low-emission” vehicles, through the measurement of tailpipe emissions only.
CO2 tailpipe emissions represent only a part of the reality, ignoring the beneficial contribution that sustainable biofuels can provide. As a consequence, today a battery electric vehicle powered with the current EU electricity mix relies on close to 50% contribution from fossil energy sources, but nevertheless is considered “zero” emissions. On the other hand, a vehicle fuelled with bioCNG is considered fully fossil, despite providing in some cases even a negative GHG emissions balance.
This is the result of an obsolete regulatory framework, that was developed at a time when the market was entirely based on thermal engines and fossil fuels. The upcoming revision represents a timely opportunity to introduce a new framework which to account for the benefits of Sustainable Advanced Alternative Fuels such as bioCNG, bioLNG, bioLPG and synthetic fuels.
In light of this, some specific considerations:
A) Risk of not accounting for fuels in the CO2 average OEMs’ fleet calculation
Maintaining a siloed approach between fuels and mobility legislation (i.e. RED II/FQD from one side and CO2 Standards the vehicle side) does not and will not stimulate the vehicle industry to further invest in cost-effective and available solutions.
Relying solely on electrification, with the associated huge economic and infrastructure investments needed, will delay the decarbonisation of transport and misses the rapid reductions biofuels can deliver. Breaking those silos and valuing the benefits of SAAFs in the CO2 Standards is necessary for Europe to achieve its environmental targets, complementing a continued path towards electrification.
Moreover, by betting on a single solution, Europe risks rapidly losing competitiveness and jobs in one of the sectors where we are recognized as worldwide leaders.
B) Need for the revision of the CO2 Standards
Despite being a valid scientific argument, we recognise the difficulty of introducing a full Well-to-Wheel approach in this revision of the regulation. Nevertheless, a complementary legislative tool (methodology) is needed to recognise the climate benefit linked to bio and synthetic fuel, as already mentioned in art.15 of the 2019/631 regulation.
The CO2 credit generated by additional advanced renewable fuels consumed by the vehicle should be available to OEMs to demonstrate that investments in certain technologies, such as CNG and LNG dedicated vehicles, are contributing beyond the simple tailpipe benefit. This acknowledgement must lead to a “net-zero” emission vehicle labelling, equivalent to the current “zero” level recognized only to full electric solutions.
It is also important to recall the cross sectorial role that renewable fuels, such as biomethane, can play in creating a virtuous circle between agricultural and waste sectors, energy production and its use in transport.
This revision can create the long-awaited conditions, to further invest in technologies that can bring enormous benefits to our environment and our society.
Read full responseResponse to Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy
23 Jul 2020
Westport Fuel Systems (WFS) is a technology supplier to a number of major OEMs as well as consumers. Its products include LNG systems for heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) which can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 20%, as well as a number of other alternative fuel solutions for vehicles from cars to HDVs. WFS operates in many European countries including Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands.
WFS welcomes the European Commission’s roadmap on the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (SSMS) and the Commission’s ambition to increase the sustainability of the transport sector. The current health crisis we find ourselves in has demonstrated the fundamental role of road transport systems for the economy and further accentuated the need for increased resilience of the sector when it comes to strategic supply chains. Transport has also proved vital for social cohesion and providing support to European connectivity.
With this in mind, we believe the upcoming SSMS should give more clarity on the following aspects:
Underline the role of already available means to decarbonise the transport sector. This would require further promoting the production and use of renewable fuels for the existing vehicle fleet as well as ensuring progress is made in the decarbonisation of the future European fleet. These efforts would further depend on the roll out of the complementary refuelling infrastructure needed to support the structural change.
Assuring affordable access to transport for all European citizens and freight shippers’ distributors. This is crucial when it comes to achieving a just transition towards affordable mobility for all European citizens and ensuring that sustainable freight movement comes at no added cost on goods. The economic and social dimension of the SSMS should consider the growing discrepancy in the access to mobility across Europe and put forward concrete solutions to respond to this issue. In this regard, the synergies between natural gas and renewable gas could prove a cost-efficient way to achieve such a transition along with the role of retrofitted alternative fuels technologies, including LPG and CNG conversions.
Confirm the need for a methodology for calculating the contribution to CO2 emissions reductions from renewable gaseous fuels. This methodology would integrate a lifecycle approach to existing standards and look at the savings offered by renewable fuels from a holistic point of view under the current tailpipe emissions approach of the CO2 Standards for Vehicles Regulation. The current perspective does not allow for investments to be channelled towards alternative fuels, whereas we will only succeed in achieving the EU targets if we rely on a mix of all available solutions. The current economic situation underlines the need for cost effective emissions reductions, and a proposal for a new methodology can provide greater clarity and allow further mainstreaming of renewable fuels in the transport sector.
The rapid development of renewable gases such as biomethane shows promising results. These renewable gases provide the ability to reduce the emissions from transport using reliable and domestically produced fuels in a circular economy approach. Furthermore, innovations in gas engines have rendered them more efficient and better performing than ever. Current natural gas vehicles can save as much as 20% on CO2 emissions vs. their diesel counterparts, and with renewable gases we can eliminate CO2 emissions.
In sum, gas vehicles offer an effective way to reduce emissions from the transport sector, providing clean, affordable and secure transport options available immediately for widespread use. Additionally, renewable gas will play a key role on the path to climate neutral transport and will be of growing importance for decades to come. With the right framework in place, gas mobility and alternative fuel technologies can effectively play their part in securing the sustainable transport sector we are all working towards.
Read full response14 Jun 2019
Thank you for this opportunity to provide feedback on the revision of heavy duty vehicle rules for emissions type approval testing amending Regulation (EU) No 582/2011. As a global expert in alternative fuel technologies for vehicles and supplier to a number of major heavy duty vehicle manufacturers, preparing for future emissions regulations is important to us.
In our opinion the proposed revision of heavy duty vehicle rules for emissions type approval testing amending Regulation (EU) No 582/2011 is a fair and balanced legislation. In fact we are already supporting our customers to ensure heavy duty natural gas trucks incorporating our systems are meeting the most stringent Euro VI emission requirements while reducing CO2 emissions by 20% compared with conventional technologies. We are committed to making our products ready for the future Euro VI type approval testing requirements proposed in this legislation as early as possible.
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