PIT Receives Government Funding

1. PIT Receives Government Funding for Engine Programming Project
Quebec government funds study to develop engine parameters to reduce fuel
consumption and emissions
Montréal, QC – August 28, 2014 –
FPInnovations’ Performance
Innovation Transport (PIT) group, a
not-for-profit engineering and
research group for the North
American trucking industry, today
announced that it has received funding from the Quebec government to initiate a
commercial vehicle engine programming project to reduce fuel consumption and
emissions. The focus of the project is to provide engine manufacturers with
guidance on developing parameters and setting defaults, and to provide fleets
with guidance on which parameters to use based on a truck’s application.
“All sectors of the road transport industry are affected by the lack of knowledge
related to engine optimization,” said Yves Provencher, director of PIT. “There are
over 200 configurable parameters available to fleets free of charge to optimize
engine performance based on usage, yet over 80 percent of engines sold are
specified with the default settings. Millions of dollars and thousands of hours are
spent annually on implementing new fuel and emission reducing technologies
while something as simple as appropriate engine programming could represent
fuel savings of 10 to 15 percent.”
The main objective of the PIT Programming Commercial Vehicle Engines to
Reduce Fuel Consumption and Emissions project is to develop parameters
suitable for various engine applications and to measure and disseminate
information on potential fuel savings. The project will help manufacturers
and fleets optimize new engines, and the programming parameters
developed for targeted applications will be useful when a truck changes
vocation.
PIT partners in the engine programming project include:
• Cummins Eastern Canada
• Cascades Transport Inc. (a PIT fleet member)
• The Association of Mechanical Inspection Agents of Quebec (a
collaboration between Canadian transportation, insurance and
environmental agencies to improve and ensure consistency on all garages
that perform mechanical and emissions inspections)
• The Société des Alcools du Québec (a government-run alcohol distributor
and a PIT fleet member)
Parameters will be developed for long haul, regional, delivery, refuse, forestry
trucks and buses.

2. "The entire road transport sector will benefit from the PIT group's research on
engine programming,” said Pierre Lapointe, president and CEO of
FPInnovations. “A direct source of fuel savings is waiting in the wings behind
engine programming, and a better understanding of engine programming will
help all trucking segments and other industries improve their energy
performance."
About Performance Innovation Transport
Based in Montréal, Québec, Performance Innovation Transport (PIT) is a group
of FPInnovations. Formed in 2008, PIT is an unbiased, neutral testing
organization to help manufacturers evaluate and refine prototypes and fleet
managers select the best technologies to reduce costs and environmental
impact. PIT works in cooperation with the U.S. SmartWay Transport Partnership,
Natural Resources Canada, and Environment Canada who has selected PIT as
the benchmark facility for testing green transportation technologies. PIT
evaluates and implements technologies that promote efficient energy use in the
commercial transportation, municipal and transit industries. Membership in PIT
has grown to include 36 fleets, 18 municipalities and four federal and provincial
government agencies. For more information about PIT, visit pit.fpinnovations.ca.
For more information about FPInnovations, visit www.fpinnovations.ca.
Media Contacts:
Terry Knee
FPInnovations
514-630-4115
terry.knee@fpinnovations.ca
Susan Fall
LaunchIt Public Relations
858-490-1050
susan@launchitpr.com
Technical Contact:
Yves Provencher
FPInnovations
514-782-4523
yves.provencher@fpinnovations.ca