CHERASCO – Behind a success story there is professionalism, commitment, research and mutual respect. This is how we tell you about the first 25 years of collaboration between Kia Italia and BRC Gas Equipment, a brand owned by Westport Fuel System Italia Srl, a leading company in the production and marketing of natural gas and LPG components and systems for automotive.
For the occasion, the company, whose headquarters and factories are in Cherasco, in the province of Cuneo, opened its doors to show the component research and development laboratories, the various quality controls, up to the housing of the systems on the cars. Kia Italy. From this virtuous union, over 100,000 Kia vehicles equipped with LPG technology, supplied by Westport Fuel System Italia, were sold in Italy, destined to develop new projects and generate as many numbers and profits.
Summing up today is easy and rewarding, but developing the idea that goes under the acronym DOEM, which stands for the installation of LPG fuel systems on new vehicles, approved in phase 2, therefore outside the original production site following the qualitative and typical industrial criteria, it required a whole series of researches and steps.
Basically, the machines produced by Kia arrive at the Piedmont plant, where the transformation takes place. Once the car is ready, it is delivered to the customer with the historic seven-year manufacturer’s warranty included. Many will be wondering why to buy a Kia car equipped with LPG? Because it offers advantages in terms of savings, consumption and significant emissions, so, Kia has analyzed and offered an opportunity to its customers nationwide, where it has a share that exceeds 14% and obtains over a third of sales with the models Picanto, Sportage, Stonic, XCeed, Ceed and Rio.
Giuseppe Bitti, managing director of Kia Italia, states: “This achievement makes us proud and is an opportunity to celebrate what has been done so far with a careful look to the future. The dual-fuel LPG petrol solution has made Kia history in Italy and today, with the era of electrification upon us, we are ready to go further. The challenge will be to bring the LPG system to native hybrid cars, a solution capable of combining the needs of customers looking for cutting-edge technology with a keen eye on operating costs and environmental sustainability “.
Marco Seimandi Vice President of Sales & Marketing of Westport Fuel System Italia comments: “The moral of the success story of these 25 years of collaboration is in the transparent choices born on the solid basis of mutual esteem, it is a guarantee that has allowed the continuity of this important collaboration. between Kia Italia and Westport Fuel System Italia. A work made of research and continuous experimentation, which boasts the use of quality raw materials and development in step with the times.
The company boasts over 1,400 proprietary patents, which demonstrate its research and development capabilities. The Canadian group, based in Vancouver, Canada, looks to the future and researches ways to preserve the environment and guarantee a cleaner tomorrow. We are a leading supplier of advanced engine components and systems with clean, low-carbon fuels such as natural gas, renewable gas, propane and LPG to the global automotive industry. Together with Kia Italia, we are preparing to face new challenges ”.
The new year starts with important premises between Kia Italia and Westport Fuel System Italia, the first vehicle powered by the LPG system on native hybrid cars will arrive by spring.
.