Media Room
Spain: new investments will help develop first 100% Autogas Euro VI D engine for trucks and urban buses
Under the ‘eKorevolution’ motto, the Spanish company BeGas has presented their industrialisation project in Bizkaia, thanks to an investment of 5.2 million Euros made by two new partners, Ekarpen and BBK, and the expansion of investments by Repsol, Innvierte CDTI, EASO VENTURES, Itzarri and EIN, which started in December 2019. This economic aid will help BeGas meet the great challenge of manufacturing the world’s first 100% Autogas engine family with Euro VI D for trucks and urban buses.
“The mission of our company is to offer solutions to heavy urban transport. We are the only global manufacturer of 100% Autogas engines for industrial vehicles and urban buses approved under the European Euro VI D regulations,” said Pedro Silva, CEO of BeGas.
Throughout 2020, BeGas will produce 25 engines to undertake the launch phase. Currently, it has a staff of 25 people divided between Bizkaia and Madrid. The company’s forecast is to double the staff in Bizkaia and multiply the current engine production capacity by four, from 125 to 500 engines annually over the next three years.
“At BeGas we are very proud to have come this far, not only because this step makes it easier for us to launch our project, but also because we are going to be able to contribute to the reduction of polluting emissions from urban transport. Our engines have given excellent emission results in the homologation tests,” added Silva.
With a total investment 6 million Euros, the company also plans to generate 25 new direct jobs, 100 indirect jobs and a positive impact on the Basque automotive ecosystem in the next three years.
The manufacture of BeGas engines, available in 250, 280 and 310 HP, will allow the company to carry out two business models. On the one hand, the installation of engines in new vehicles and, on the other hand, the conversion of diesel trucks and urban buses (from around 3 to 8 years) that will allow them to extend their life cycle. In both cases, the vehicles will obtain DGT’s (Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic) ECO label.
This milestone was also possible due to the support and collaboration of the Centre for Thermal Engines (CMT) of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). For more information, please check this link.
5 August 2020