WPRT Westport Fuel Systems Inc.

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Westport Fuel Systems Inc. Q2 F2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

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Operator
Conference Operator
Good day and thank you for standing by. Welcome to Westport's second quarter 2026 conference call. At this time, all participants are on a listen-only mode. After the speaker's presentation, there'll be a question and answer session. To ask a question during the session, you'll need to press star 1-1 on your telephone. You will then hear an automated message advising your hand is raised. To withdraw your question, please press star 1-1 again. Please be advised, today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to your speaker today. Ashley Null, please go ahead.
Ashley Null
Investor Relations
Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Westport Fuel Systems. conference call regarding its second quarter 2026 financial and operational results. This call is being held to coincide with the press release containing Westport's financial results issued yesterday after markets closed. On today's call speaking on behalf of Westport will be Chief Executive Officer and Director Dan Sceli and Chief Financial Officer Elizabeth Owens. Attendance on this call is open to the public but questions will be restricted to the investment community. You are reminded that certain statements made on this conference call and our responses to certain questions may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of US and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Please refer to Westport's filings for more complete discussion of these risks. Before I turn the call over to Dan, I wanted to highlight that since our first quarter release in May, Westport has continued to advance several important corporate and commercial priorities, including Suspiria's hydrogen development agreement with Volvo and the completion of a US $10 million offering and concurrent private placement. With that, I will turn the call over to you, Dan.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Thank you, Ashley, and good morning, everyone. Q2 was an important quarter for Westport. We continue to execute against our strategy of focusing the business around high-impact, scalable clean transportation solutions where our technology can deliver meaningful economic and emissions benefits without compromising performance. The quarter was also marked by important developments that strengthen our platform for future growth. First, Suspira, our joint venture with Volvo Group, signed an agreement with Volvo Group to complete development of a hydrogen-fueled engine. This is an important milestone because it reinforces the relevance of HPDI technology across multiple low-carbon fuels, including hydrogen, natural gas, and renewable natural gas. It also further validates the role of internal combustion engine technology as part of the practical pathway to decarbonizing heavy-duty transport. Second, we completed a US $10 million offering in June. This financing provided additional working capital to support our ongoing operations and strategic priorities as we continue to advance the business. We recognize the importance of managing capital carefully and we remain focused on balancing investment and growth opportunities with continued financial discipline. Operationally, the quarter continued to reinforce the strategic value of our core platforms. At Suspira, we remain encouraged by the commercial momentum we are seeing in LNG-powered heavy-duty trucks and by the broader market context supporting adoption. The Q1 results showed a strong year-over-year revenue growth, and in Q2 we continued building on that foundation through development work, customer engagement, and the hydrogen engine development agreement with Volvo. We have consistently indicated that 2027 would be the break-even year for Suspira, and the results we are seeing continue to build credibility behind that expectation. Since inception, Suspira has delivered quarter-over-quarter revenue growth, with growth delivered in Q2 being particularly significant. That momentum, combined with continued operating leverage as volume scale, reinforces our confidence that Suspira is progressing toward the financial profile we have been targeting for next year. The message is clear. SUSPEAR is not a single fuel opportunity. It is a platform that can support multiple lower carbon pathways for heavy duty transport while preserving the power, range, and reliability fleets require. The volume growth we are seeing is being supported by a more resilient commercial backdrop for LNG heavy duty trucking. Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, the price differential between LNG and diesel has continued to show consistency reinforcing the economic case for fleets evaluating lower carbon alternatives that can also support operating cost discipline. At the same time, recent regulatory developments in the European Union are increasing the strategic value of emissions reducing technologies. OEMs are now able to generate additional CO2 credits in the years leading up to 2030, which may help with the compliance from 2030 onward. That creates a stronger incentive for earlier deployment of lower-emission heavy-duty technologies such as HPDI, where reduced emissions can translate into avoided compliance costs and potential emission credit value. In North America, our high-pressure CNG fuel system remains an important area of focus. Following our ACT Expo showcase, we continued to build awareness around a solution designed to deliver diesel-like performance with lower fuel cost potential and reduced emissions. Over the last couple of months, we have had the opportunity to demonstrate our truck to several fleets at our Vancouver facility, giving them the opportunity to put a driver into the truck. The level of engagement we are seeing and the feedback we are receiving reinforcing that fleets are looking for practical alternatives that can work within existing operating realities rather than requiring a wholesale change in how they run the business. Our high pressure controls business also remains a key part of Westport's value proposition. With production underway at our expanded Cambridge, Ontario facility and at GFI's China Hydrogen Innovation Centre and manufacturing facility in Jiangsu, China, we continue to believe this business is well positioned to serve growing demand across hydrogen, natural gas and industrial applications. With that, I'll ask Elizabeth to walk through the financial results in more detail. Elizabeth, over to you.
Elizabeth Owens
Chief Financial Officer
Thank you, Dan. Our second quarter financial results have demonstrated meaningful progress. From a capital perspective, the June financing strengthened our near-term liquidity profile. Westport closed the sale of 1.6 million common shares and 3.3 million pre-funded warrants in a registered direct offering, together with private placement warrants, to purchase up to 4.8 million common shares. Combined effective purchase price was US $2.06 per common share or pre-funded warrant and associated private placement warrant, generating gross proceeds of approximately $10 million before fees and expenses. The offering proceeds are intended for working capital and general corporate purposes. In addition, if the private placement warrants are exercised in full for cash, Westport would receive additional gross proceeds of approximately US $10 million, although the timing and likelihood of any exercise cannot be predicted. From an accounting perspective, the warrants contain settlement features that require us to account for these warrants as liabilities rather than equity. These liabilities will be remeasured to fair value at each reporting date with changes recorded through earnings until the warrants are exercised or expire. As at the end of June, our cash and cash equivalents position stood at $23.9 million compared to $24.5 million at March 31st, 2026. The slight net decrease in cash was primarily driven by our operating losses, including certain one-time costs relating to the financing activities and to our cyber incident in Q1, and by the funding of the Syspera JV and debt repayment. This was offset by proceeds from the financing transaction. In the quarter, our capital contributions to Suspera decreased to $3.5 million in the current quarter compared to Q2 2025, reflecting the improvement of Suspera's financial performance. We anticipate this number will continue to decrease in the coming year as Suspera continues to drive volume growth. We also paid $1.5 0 million in debt repayments to EDC and we'll make our final debt repayment in Q3. Turning to our operating segments, Q2 2026 revenue for our high pressure controls business was 2.7 million compared with 2.9 million for Q2 2025. The decrease in revenue was primarily driven by lower sales volume in the quarter. That said, At the end of the quarter, we did see a backlog of demand from customers that are waiting to be fulfilled as we continue to improve the production output from our two main manufacturing plants in Canada and China. Gross profit was 0.1 million, or 5% of revenue, similar to what we saw in Q2 2025. We anticipate that as the manufacturing plants in Canada and China continue to work on localizing its supply chain and improving its manufacturing processes and output, gross profit and margin will improve. Since Suspiria's beginning, we have driven quarter over quarter revenue growth with Q2 2026 being the strongest at 125% as compared to Q2 2025. The broader strategic direction remains consistent with what we outlined in Q1. Suspira is benefiting from demand for practical lower carbon heavy duty solutions. The hydrogen development agreement signed during the quarter along with the work completed by the second OEM all add important technology pathways to the existing LNG and renewable natural gas opportunity. Product revenue was up 127% to $18.9 million. compared to $8.3 million in Q2 2025. As Dan mentioned, Suspeira's growth is influenced by the favorable price differential between diesel and natural gas and government regulation support in markets like Europe. Aftermarket revenue was $5.5 million compared to $2.6 million, also driven by the increase in sales volumes. Service revenue was 2.6 million compared to 1 million Q2 of 2025, primarily driven by the milestones achieved. Service revenue allocated to project milestones are weighted differently across the phases of an engineering service revenue project. One of SUSPIR's significant long-term engineering service revenue projects is expected to complete in Q4 2026, in advance of the anticipated launch of their Euro 7 product. Gross profit was $3.8 million compared to gross loss of $1.9 million in Q2 2025. Suspera had a net loss of $2.4 million, a 65% improvement over the $6.7 million in Q2 2025 as they meaningfully increased product revenue and lowered their cost base and continued to grow and scale the business. Year-to-date, we have seen our capital contributions to Suspira decrease, a trend that we see continuing, as Dan mentioned, as they move towards an expected break-even next year. With that, I'll pass the call back to Dan.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Thank you, Elizabeth. As we look ahead, Westport is focused on disciplined execution. The development since our Q1 release reinforced the progress we are making across the business. Suspira continues to advance its success The hydrogen engine development agreement with Volvo and the rest of HPDI technology. Our high pressure CNG solution is gaining visibility in North America and the June financing provided additional flexibility to continue advancing our priorities. We are operating in a market where customers are not looking for theory. They are looking for solutions that can reduce emissions, lower operating costs, and maintain the performance they need today. That is where Westport is focused. We believe our technologies are well aligned with the realities of commercial transportation and industrial applications and we are committed to translating that alignment into commercial traction, improved financial performance and long-term shareholder value. Thank you for your time today and we appreciate your continued interest in Westport and we will now open the call for questions.
Operator
Conference Operator
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question or comment at this time, please press star one one on your telephone. If your question has been answered, you wish to move yourself from the queue, please press star one one again. We'll pause for a moment while we compile our Q&A roster. Our first question comes from Amit Daya with HC Wainwright. Your line is open.
Amit Daya
Analyst, HC Wainwright
Thank you. Good morning, guys. Hey, good morning. Hey Dan, good to see Saspira coming through in a strong way for you guys. Can you maybe give us a little bit more color on some of the tactical drivers? I know it's a practical solution, it's available, but in terms of any specific sales efforts or customer wins, is there anything that is supporting this trend and how should we think about future growth for Saspira?
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Sure. I'll break the market for the current LNG system into two chunks. You've got the European Union and then you've got the other countries around the world. The European market is moving forward with its emission credit system with their new mandates. So the trucking companies and OEMs and the fleets are all looking for ways to meet the new requirements that are coming up. Euro 7 is a big part of that for the new engine from Volvo with our HPDI 3.0. And I think that we're going to see more and more of this increased growth. The market is finding that it's no longer a question of the technology. The technology is proven. It's reliable. And the market's accepting the benefits that come with that. And now what we're seeing is the economic solutions are also becoming very prevalent and giving us the growth that we've been looking for and we knew would come. And so we think it's going to continue. Then outside of the European Union, you know, the Volvo is moving and creating beachheads in South America and India. We're in 37 countries now, over 12,000 trucks on the road. So that adoption is going to continue to grow rapidly, not just in Europe, but in those other global countries. And then, of course, our plan to bring HPDI to North America is mission critical as well, that we're bringing a new storage system, a CNG system that will allow HPDI to run in North America. For us, it's very exciting to see this significant growth.
Amit Daya
Analyst, HC Wainwright
Yes, I understand. Thank you for that, Dan. And then just to follow up on the HPDI hydrogen efforts between Suspira and Volvo, there is no sort of requirement for Westport to maybe fund any of this, right? This is just going to be between Suspira and Volvo and they are going to figure out how to fund this effort, how to bring that to market.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Well, it's a development contract that Volvo is funding the development of the HPDI system for hydrogen. So it is a customer-funded development program. Okay, understood.
Amit Daya
Analyst, HC Wainwright
Yeah, that's all I have. I'll get back into it, guys. Thanks.
Operator
Conference Operator
All right, great. Thanks, Amit. One moment for our next question. Our next question comes from Eric Stein with Craig Callum Capital Group. Your line is open.
Eric Stein
Analyst, Craig Callum Capital Group
Good morning, everyone.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Hey, good morning, Eric.
Operator
Conference Operator
How are you?
Eric Stein
Analyst, Craig Callum Capital Group
Doing well, you? Doing all right. Good. So maybe I'll just start with the high pressure segment. You alluded to some, I guess, unfulfilled demand as your two locations, Canada and China, ramp up. I'm just curious, I mean, is this kind of just the typical ramp up now that your equipment has been moved to both locations or Is there something else that's maybe limiting that in visibility that that's a near-term impact?
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Yeah, it's a bit of a combination. So the time we had to shut down, pick up the equipment, move it from Europe to both Canada and China, install the equipment, get the facilities certified, and then up and running, that's the primary issue. It's typical transferring of capital equipment and then obviously launching it, training people on this equipment and getting them hitting volume. So we're seeing a very typical changeover impact that has left us a bit behind on volume.
Eric Stein
Analyst, Craig Callum Capital Group
And is this something, I mean, once that is rectified in both locations that it means there is some upside? to these numbers. I mean, this quarter is the highest high pressure revenue you've had in, I guess, four. So just curious, do you view that Q2 was limited in a big way on the top line, or how should we think about that?
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Well, yeah, I think Q1, Q2 were the transition periods. As we go into Q3 and Q4, it's just ramping up volume, meeting the various customer demands and I don't think we have any more roadblocks or bottlenecks that would end up hitting the volumes that are in the plan.
Eric Stein
Analyst, Craig Callum Capital Group
Got it. Okay, and then just on Suspira, you mentioned that 2027 is when you're targeting break-even. I know you've now had two consecutive quarters of positive gross margin in that joint venture. You know, just curious how we should think about that. And once you do get to break even, curious what that does, or could you remind us what that does in terms of reducing your capital contribution to the joint venture?
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Yeah, I mean, the moment they flip over to break even and don't need cash contributions, that's a huge step in the right direction for both Westport and Volvo. You know, as we said in the talk, you know, volumes are up 125% over the same period last year. It's fantastic. And we see that continued strong growth in all 37 countries that are buying the system today. And with Volvo launching the new Euro 7 engine, which is a much, much improved engine, they've done a fantastic job on that engine from all aspects, combined with our new HPDI 3.0, We think that the market pull is going to be even stronger. We're very excited that we're crossing over that period. We figured it would be three or four years before we could get there. With the volumes, we're getting there sooner than we thought. We're pretty happy about it. We think it's going to continue. Now it's a question of getting the HPDI system into North America and adding volume to that.
Eric Stein
Analyst, Craig Callum Capital Group
Yep, and so just to be clear, the contributions to the joint venture, those are not necessarily dictated over a period of time. That's really dictated by getting to that break-even mark, and then once that is done, by and large, those contributions end?
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Yeah, it's really a cash need. It was not any fixed numbers that were written into the agreement. It was a case of... you know year by year quarter by quarter evaluating the cash needs of the business recall that you know to start the business up back in 24 to be a certified tier one we needed a fully built out company all disciplines all certifications and and so from day one we had the full overhead cost and as volumes go up we're not adding we mean that's in place we don't have to add more of that and so we're going to continue to take advantage of that volume and and and We will not have the cash calls as we have seen for the last two and a half years.
Eric Stein
Analyst, Craig Callum Capital Group
Okay, thank you very much.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
All right, take care.
Operator
Conference Operator
And I'm not showing any further questions this time. I turn the call back to Dan for any further remarks.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Well, I'd like to thank everybody for joining today. I hope you find our...
Operator
Conference Operator
Pardon me, Dan. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. We just did have someone queue up. Did you want to go and take the question? Sure. Absolutely. Sure, one moment. Our next question comes from Chris Dendrinos with RBC Capital Markets. Your line is open.
Chris Dendrinos
Analyst, RBC Capital Markets
Hi, yeah, thanks for fitting me in. I apologize. No, no worries, Chris. No worries. But I missed it. You know, maybe just to start here and follow up on a couple of the prior questions, but you know following on the on the sphere commentary here and you mentioned some additional work with with that second potential OEM customer you just you know expand on that a little bit where you all are at with them and you know possible timing related to I guess call it additional milestones or additional advancements yeah yeah yeah so that second OEM did the original I think it was a 200 truck trial
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
and we're at the stage now where they're planning out the second phase of their field trials which would be much larger than the original field trial and we're imminently awaiting to hear their planning for that and so it's probably going to be you know another month at least before we hear what their next phase is but you know what we've heard so far is that Phase 1, the initial field trials went extremely well. Got it.
Chris Dendrinos
Analyst, RBC Capital Markets
Thank you. Maybe just to follow up on Eric's question in regards to the high pressure systems, I'll try to nail you down on something here. If you all weren't kind of call it bottlenecked on the manufacturing side of things, would you anticipate revenue growth in the back half of this year? Thanks.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
I think that the revenue growth is going to come. As I said, we lost about six months in picking up the equipment, moving it, installing it, getting the facilities recertified to the industrial and automotive standards. There's still a bit of backlog that we're filling. The hydrogen market itself is not growing at the rate we thought it would a year ago. I think we've all acknowledged that. But I think that we're going to see, specifically in China, as the government continues to push for the rapid growth of hydrogen across their mobility markets, we're going to see some volume increases. In North America and Europe, I think we're going to get right back to plan and we expect to beat our plan this year on volume.
Operator
Conference Operator
Got it.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Thank you very much.
Operator
Conference Operator
And that was our last question. Back to you, Dan.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
All right. Well, thank you, everybody, for joining the call. I hope you leave as excited as we are about the growing business versus spirit. It's finally coming to where we all thought it would. So have a great day. Thank you.
Operator
Conference Operator
Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today's presentation. We thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect and have a wonderful day.
Dan Sceli
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Thank you.