Westport Innovations Inc., together with Volvo Car Sverige and Upplands Motor, announced that Sweden-based Fågelviksgruppen (FVG) has signed an agreement covering the purchase of 400 Volvo V70 Bi-Fuel taxis with Westport technology and fuel systems including options to purchase up to 240 more. Orders for the first 200 vehicles have been received for delivery beginning this year and completion planned for the end of February 2016. Westport expects the balance to be delivered by the third quarter 2016.

    FVG operates 6,000 taxis in fleets such as TaxiKurir, Taxi 020, Taxi Skåne, and TaxisNorge. Currently, older bi-fuel cars are used by fleets in the Stockholm area, but the new taxis will be deployed throughout the country. “We are committed to reduce our environmental footprint. We have evaluated several different environmentally friendly cars and found that Volvo Bi-Fuel is a very attractive and a right choice as a taxi vehicle,” said Ole Oftedal, CEO of FVG.

    “The Volvo V70 is already recognized as one of the top-selling taxi vehicles in Sweden. The new 2016 Volvo V70 Bi-Fuel offers fleets like FVG’s the reliability and fuel economy of the latest Volvo powertrain technology with the emissions benefits they seek,” commented Per-Inge Kruse, Customer Director of Westport.

    The 2016 Volvo V70 Bi-Fuel, capable of operating on natural gas compressor based fuel or petrol/gasoline, is based on Volvo’s new two-liter, direct injection, four-cylinder Drive-E powertrain family. Featuring Westport technology integrated with the powertrain including Westport components and engine management system, the engine offers 245 horsepower and 350NM in torque with emissions in the V70 model as low as 41g CO2/km (according to the Swedish Transport Administration’s calculation method for biomethane).