UQM gets $9.25 million EV propulsion system order from Phoenix Motorcars

UQM, they of the Silverado EV conversion, announced today that Phoenix Motorcars has ordered $9.25 million worth of electric propulsion systems and onboard DC-to-DC converters to be used in the Phoenix's upcoming all-electric Sport Utility Truck (SUT).
The basic specs of Phoenix's $45,000 (estimated) SUT have made an appearance or two on AutoblogGreen before, but here's the recap: 135-mile range, 0-to-60 in less than ten seconds, the 35kWh Altair Nanotechnologies NanoSafe batteries can be quick-charged in about ten minutes, and UQM's propulsion system offers over 400 ft-lbs of torque. The onboard converters will be used to power the vehicle instrumentation.
It'll take the rest of the year for UQM to deliver all the parts of Phoenix's order, but with 75 SUTs now ordered, I bet we see lots more action from Phoenix to get the trucks out of the factory and onto the roads.
You can read earlier stories on Phoenix and this zero-emission SUT by clicking here.
Related:
[Source: UQM Technologies, Inc.]
UQM Technologies Receives $9.25 Million Production Order From Phoenix Motorcars, Inc.
REDERICK, Colo., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UQM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (AMEX:UQM) , a developer of alternative energy technologies, announced today that it has received a $9.25 million production order from Phoenix Motorcars, Inc. for UQM(R) electric propulsion systems to power Phoenix's newly introduced all electric powered Sport Utility Truck (SUT). The order also includes an onboard UQM(R) DC-to-DC converter to power the vehicle instrumentation.
Deliveries under the order are tentatively scheduled over the next year. This order raises the Company's current product production backlog to approximately $14 million.
The Phoenix all electric SUT is powered by a 100 kW UQM(R) electric propulsion system which produces over 400 ft-lbs of torque, accelerates the vehicle from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than 10 seconds, has a top speed of 100 miles per hour and operates at peak system efficiencies of over 94%. The vehicle's 35kWh NanoSafe(TM) battery pack supplied by Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTI) can be recharged in less than 10 minutes using Altair's proprietary technology and provides safe power and energy for the vehicle. In a typical fleet duty cycle the vehicle will travel up to 135 miles between charges. The vehicle is expected to qualify as a Type III ZEV in California.
Phoenix Motorcars' market strategy targets operators of fleet vehicles, such as public utilities, public transportation providers, and delivery services. This market presents a significant opportunity as there are more than 200,000 fleet vehicles in the State of California alone, with an increasing number of fleet operators now seeking freeway-capable, zero emission, all electric vehicles.
"The performance characteristics of the UQM(R) propulsion system, including its industry leading torque delivery and energy efficiency, adds substantially to the value proposition of our SUT," said Daniel J. Elliott, President and Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Motorcars, Inc. "The performance capability of the propulsion system is a significant factor in the driving experience and vehicle utility for our customers and we are pleased to be partnered with a leader in electric propulsion technology and related vehicle electronic products."
"We are pleased that Phoenix has selected our company as their strategic partner to supply propulsion systems for their electric SUT production program," said William G. Rankin, UQM Technologies, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer. "This order represents a major milestone in the commercialization of our technology in the on-highway electric vehicle market and we are looking forward to supporting and participating in Phoenix's growth and success."
Phoenix Motorcars, headquartered in Ontario, California, has been an industry leader in the development of battery electric freeway speed vehicles since 2001. The mission of Phoenix Motorcars is to manufacture zero emission vehicles to reduce the toxic emissions of the largest contributor to air pollution, personal automobiles. For additional information on the Company, please visit its worldwide website at www.phoenixmotorcars.com.
UQM Technologies, Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of power dense, high efficiency electric motors, generators and power electronic controllers for the automotive, aerospace, medical, military and industrial markets. A major emphasis of the Company is developing products for the alternative energy technologies sector including propulsion systems for electric, hybrid electric and fuel cell electric vehicles, under-the-hood power accessories and other vehicle auxiliaries and distributed power generation applications. The Company's headquarters, engineering and product development center, and motor manufacturing operation are located in Frederick, Colorado. For more information on the Company, please visit its worldwide website at www.uqm.com.
This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. These statements appear in a number of places in this press release and include statements regarding the timing for delivery of the products and the amount of product that will be delivered as well as our plans, beliefs or current expectations, including those plans, beliefs and expectations of our officers and directors with respect to, among other things the development of markets for our products. There can be no assurance that Phoenix will not cancel all or a part of the order that is cancelable. Other important Risk Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements are contained in our Form 10-Q filed October 31, 2006 which is available through our website at www.uqm.com or at www.sec.gov.
Source: UQM Technologies, Inc.
Web site: http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hippie Hunter 9:25PM (1/17/2007)
Oh, yeah. $45K is reasonable for a small, weenie truck.
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KLEI 9:53PM (1/17/2007)
finaly nanosafe batteries. i dont think that 45k is THAT bad but of course we must wait until the stats come out :(
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Howard Lee Harkness 9:23AM (1/18/2007)
$45K represents a chunk of R&D, and I would hope for the cost to come down a bit. However, AltairNano wants to restrict their Ti-LiON technology to "pure" EVs, which suggests that some goody-two-shoes in AltairNano has decided to use licensing and the badly broken patent system to enforce his particular version of Political Correctness, instead of letting the market sort out the best use for this technology.
Political Correctness makes bad business, bad science, and bad public policy. I am very disappointed to see this self-defeating behavior from AltairNano. I hope that some competing technology comes along that completely demolishes the proponents of this particular stupidity.
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trand 11:14AM (1/18/2007)
I did the math a couple of times...Altairnano is charging $80,000 each for the batteries. $45,000 for the Phoenix doesn't quite cover that.
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Howard Lee Harkness 12:17PM (1/18/2007)
"I did the math a couple of times...Altairnano is charging $80,000 each for the batteries. $45,000 for the Phoenix doesn't quite cover that." --trand
The initial deal with Phoenix included a licensing agreement. The actual price of the battery was not disclosed, and is probably on the order of $20K. I hope that some meaningful competition from alternative battery technologies knocks that price down a lot.
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Tim 2:12PM (1/18/2007)
Altair is NOT just interested in BEVs. In fact it’s just the opposite as they have left their product available for Hybrids including PHEVs. “In consideration for a three-year exclusivity agreement within the U.S., Altairnano received a 16.6 percent ownership in the company. The three-year exclusivity agreement provides Phoenix with LIMITED, exclusive use of Altairnano’s NanoSafe battery packs in four-wheel, all-electric vehicles having a gross weight up to 6,000 pounds.” http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?page=news&newsid=13903 Is the Volt an “all electric” vehicle or a hybrid? Lawyers will want to know.
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trand 3:37PM (1/18/2007)
Here's the copy from the press release...
In addition, the company announced it has entered into a multi-year purchase and supply agreement with Phoenix under which Phoenix has projected orders for 2007 between $16 and $42 Million for up to five hundred battery pack systems.
$42,000,000/500 = $84,000 per battery
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detroit9000 11:52PM (9/06/2007)
Solid, high performance ignorance from Mr. Harkness! He can always be counted on to deliver half baked cookies.
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