First LNG trucks in India

FPT Industrial and Blue Energy Motors have signed an agreement for the production of LNG trucks in India, which the companies claim will be the first LNG-powered trucks in the country.

The trucks will be powered by FPT N67 NG engines compliant with BS6 (Bharat Stage Emission Standards) and are expected to be on the roads by the end of 2022.

The companies said, this agreement is the first step in a potential long-term partnership, based on the specific characteristics of the Indian commercial transport market. The country has a total truck fleet of about 3.5 million vehicles and buying decisions driven by total cost of ownership (TCO), so the adoption of LNG technology is expected to be rapid once it passes the TCO parity threshold. In addition, increasingly stringent emission standards in India – BS6 being the equivalent of Euro 6 – will increase the competitive advantage of LNG vehicles.

FPT N67 NG BS6 engine will run on LNG for Blue Energy Motors trucks in India

FPT N67 NG BS6 compliant engines will equip Blue Energy Motors clean energy trucks, delivering the very high torque needed in India for transport industry applications. The engine is a six-cylinder inline with 6.7-L displacement and fixed geometry turbocharger with wastegate valve. It delivers a maximum power output of 206 kW at 2000 r/min and 1000 Nm torque at 1250 r/min.

FPT said, the engine is the most powerful natural gas unit on the market and compatible with CNG, LNG and biomethane fuel; the N67 NG uses stoichiometric combustion for reduced fuel consumption and lower noise than diesel engines, with up to 40% fuel expense reduction versus diesel equivalents in the Indian market and 28% less CO2 emissions.

Blue Energy Motors is headquartered in Pune, India, and is a Zero Emission truck technology company engaged in manufacturing of clean energy trucks; its vision for LNG truck production involves partnerships with world-class suppliers such as FPT Industrial.

The two companies are both committed to an active and swift decarbonization path in the commercial transport segment and share the same strong belief that LNG trucks are a sustainable option for the market.

“We are pleased and proud that Blue Energy Motors has chosen us for this major evolution in Indian commercial transport,” said Sylvain Blaise, president of Iveco Group Powertrain Business Unit.

Anirudh Bhuwalka, CEO Blue Energy Motors, added: “We are working to deliver a zero-tailpipe-emissions transport solution, and to do so we need all the experience and expertise of the world’s leading producer of low-emission engines: FPT Industrial. In India, Governments, fleet owners, and other stakeholders are demanding near-zero-emissions solutions, and with FPT Industrial’s NG engines we can deliver this solution now.”