Westport Innovations Inc., a natural gas engine manufacturer, and Knapheide Manufacturing Co., a full-service commercial vehicle body manufacturer, have announced that they will partner to engineer custom vehicle bodies for the Westport-powered Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty bi-fuel trucks with box-deletes.

The Westport READY-link mounting process is designed to allow the installation of custom Knapheide service bodies over the Westport WiNG Power System. Customers using Westport READY-link for their Ford F-250 or F-350 trucks can choose to upfit their trucks with the KNAP-Link 696-50J44-WCNG or Knap-Link 696-50FJ44-WCNG, Knapheide's service bodies customized to fit the Westport WiNG system.

According to the companies, the 600-series Knapheide service bodies offer rugged steel construction and external storage for tools and equipment. The external compartments provide protection from the outside elements and allow technicians to access their equipment without having to climb into the truck bed.

"Our agreement with Knapheide and Ford allows fleets to add trucks that use a clean, domestic fuel while maintaining the safety and quality that our customers have come to expect,” says John Howell, senior director of marketing at Westport. “With all aspects of the final vehicle now under full warranty accountability, customers can have 'peace of mind.'"

Westport READY-link will be available for order on Ford F-250 and F-350 box-delete trucks with the Westport WiNG Power System beginning April 1. The Super Duty trucks are equipped with a standard 18.4 or an optional 24.5 gasoline gallon equivalent Type-4 composite CNG fuel cylinder. The Westport systems are available exclusively through Westport-authorized Ford dealerships.