Moves to optimize the CNG-fueled spark injection for the parallel hybrid powertrain can be traced back to the year 2006. During the latter part of the year, IVK, FKFS, Robert Bosch, and Opel were already collaborating on a natural gas hybrid vehicle project. The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

According to reports, for the past two years, efforts to downsize and downspeed were made to establish a lower CO2 emitting vehicle in the market. The researchers made it a point not to sacrifice the performance of the engines despite the lower levels of CO2 released. Instead, they worked on shifting the engine operations to higher loads which in turn also helped to make the machine’s brake specific functions more energy efficient.

By using a hybrid power train layout, possibilities for a turbocharged ICE became broader. Researchers state that this will enhance the efficiency of the whole range operation. The active waste gate control also contributes by improving the machines performance on all speeds. The basic underlying principle of the methods that were implemented is this: they minimized the pumping mean effective pressure (PMEP) to increase the engine’s fuel efficiency.

The CNG Lite storage system combines adsorbed natural gas with low-pressure technology. The set up is primarily aimed at fuelling two and three wheeled vehicles. The tanks are designed to store the natural gas on a working pressure of around 6MPa with a capacity of 5 to 10 liters. A set of Energtek tanks is designed to provide a driving range of about 100 kilometers or 62 miles.

The team up between the developer and the government of the Philippines can be traced back to 2007. The Philippine Department of Energy requested the project from Energtek as it sees the viability of the natural gas harvested from its Malampaya Gas Reserve for consumption of the common means of transportation.

The two and three wheel vehicle market is seen as the largest growing market in the world. At present, there are about 300 million units of two and three wheelers all over the globe. Asia gets bulk of the share with 200 million roaming the streets on a daily basis.

The Malampaya Offshore Natural Gas Reserve is currently the largest local source of energy for the Philippines. The government is looking at the possibilities of harnessing this supply to support the big public transport sector.

The Malampaya field was discovered in 1992 around 80 kilometers off the shore of Palawan in the South China Sea. The production from the field started in 2001. The US Energy Information Administration estimates that the Malampaya reserve holds condensates of about 85 million barrels and about 2.3 to 4.4 Tcf of gas.