At the beginning of September in Chakan, Pune (India), Blue Energy Motors launched India’s first manufacturing facility for the production of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)-fuelled trucks, whose first models will be powered by FPT Industrial “green” engines.
Inaugurated by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, the new plant is an important milestone following the agreement signed between FPT Industrial, the global powertrain brand of Iveco Group, and Blue Energy Motors in July 2022 in Turin (Italy), during the Iveco Group’s BEYOND event. Gerrit Marx, CEO of Iveco Group, and Sylvain Blaise, President of Iveco Group Powertrain Business Unit, presented details about the project during the official ceremony opened by the Ambassador of Italy to India, Vincenzo De Luca, in Chakan on 12th September. They discussed the agreement between FPT Industrial and Blue Energy Motors, which supports the introduction the first LNG trucks powered by FPT Industrial 6.7-litre engines to Indian roads by the end of 2022.
Blue Energy Motors is a Zero Emissions truck technology company engaged in manufacturing clean energy trucks, and its vision for LNG truck production involves partnerships with worldclass suppliers like FPT Industrial. Both partners are committed to active and swift decarbonisation in the commercial transport segment and share the same strong belief that LNG trucks are a sustainable option for the market.
“From idea to execution in just 18 months. In short, that is the record that Blue Energy Motors and FPT Industrial have set together in the name of sustainability,” stated Sylvain Blaise, President of Iveco Group Powertrain Business Unit. “The right blend of agility, technical expertise, innovation and an attitude of co-creation, mutual trust and respect were the ingredients of this remarkable achievement, which will enable us to play a key role in supporting the ecological transition in one of the world’s largest vehicle markets while delivering concrete value to the transport operators.”
“India’s first LNG truck manufacturing facility, which we recently inaugurated, means that creating an alternative ecosystem for clean energy truck technology is possible,” said Anirudh Bhuwalka, CEO of Blue Energy Motors. “Thanks to FPT Industrial’s superior technology and unparalleled experience, our goal to decarbonise the environment by providing an immediate solution and breaking down the barriers of economic returns is clearly in sight”.
The N67 NG is the most powerful natural gas engine on the Indian market and is compatible with CNG, LNG and biomethane. It uses stoichiometric combustion to ensure best-in-class fuel consumption and lower noise levels than Diesel, with up to 40% fuel cost reduction compared to Diesel equivalents in the Indian market, and 28% less CO2 emissions.
