Opposed-piston engine developer Achates Power has appointed Cummins veteran David Crompton as president and CEO. Crompton joins Achates Power after 28 years at Cummins, where he served as President of both the Engine Business and Power Systems business.

He has extensive experience in the powertrain industry covering pick-up truck, commercial vehicle, military, and off-road industries. Crompton steps into the leadership of the Opposed-Piston Engine company as it is poised for growth in 2019.

The Achates Power Board and Investors have committed additional funding for the company to hasten the implementation of the Opposed-Piston Engine in the marketplace.

This is a critical time for the powertrain industry, as companies in all applications are faced with increasing the sustainability of their solutions while diversifying powertrain technologies. Achates Power can make a positive impact on the future of transportation and industrial power by providing a superior option to deliver high efficiency and low emissions across current and future markets. The Board and Investors have full confidence in the work that the Achates Power team is doing and the ability for Dave Crompton to help bring to market an ultra-clean, ultra-efficient, low-cost internal combustion engine.

—John Wall, Chairman of the Board, Achates Power

The internal combustion engine will play a vital role in the global powertrain industry for decades; the ICCT estimates that there will be 3 billion more manufactured by 2050, which will still constitute 50% of the propulsion market.

The Achates Power Opposed-Piston Engine offers the most practical, cost-effective alternative to not only meet but beat future regulatory standards in ultra-clean and ultra-efficient power. At a time when technical development and capital investments are so intense, Achates Power offers a more affordable and faster path to regulatory compliance and more importantly meeting the needs of customers around the world. The OP Engine will have a dramatic and immediate impact for our customers and for the environment.

—David Crompton, president and CEO, Achates Power

2018 saw continued growth at Achates Power with the successful demonstration of their 2.7L Light-Duty Demonstration Vehicle (earlier post); continued development of the Opposed-Piston Gasoline Compression Ignition engine (earlier post); funding from California Air Resources Board for a Heavy-Duty OP Engine demonstration program (earlier post); further development of the Advanced Combat Engine for the US Army with Cummins (earlier post); the commercialization of their OP Engine technology in the Fairbanks Morse OP Trident engine (earlier post); awards from the US Department of Energy’s ARPA-E for additional development work on the OP Engine and OP GCI (earlier post); and, additional work with customers around the world.

We all recognize and appreciate the significant contribution [outgoing CEO] David Johnson made in taking a promising but fledgling idea—an Opposed-Piston Engine—and bringing it to fruition as a proven solution that is already being adopted by major OEMs in several different applications. We are grateful that Dave Johnson will remain an adviser to Achates Power.

—John Wall