AeroVironment Electric Vehicle Travels 777 Miles in 24 Hours
25 September 1998
AeroVironment Electric Vehicle Travels 777 Miles in 24 Hours; PosiCharge Fast Charge Station Significantly Increases Range of Electric Pickup
MONROVIA, Calif.--Sept. 24, 1998--AeroVironment Inc. Thursday announced the successful results of a 24 hour electric vehicle demonstration.
Driving an electric conversion, S-10 pickup truck, retrofitted to accept PosiCharge fast charging, the AeroVironment team racked up a distance of 777 miles in 24 hours on the streets of Los Angeles.
The 24 hour demonstration is good news for electric vehicle fleet owners who are searching for ways to extend the daily range of existing electric vehicles beyond the standard 30-60 miles. "Fast charging can double or triple the daily range of existing electric vehicles," said AeroVironment Product Line Manager Edward Moore. "A 15 minute opportunity charge during break or lunch will send the truck back out on the street with nearly a full battery pack, greatly extending the capability of the vehicle."
The demonstration vehicle charged at an AeroVironment PosiCharge Fast Charge Station. Charge sequences lasted between six and 15 minutes. No special measures were taken for the demonstration beyond the standard fast charge upgrade to the pickup truck. Upgrade kits are available for most electric vehicles, opening up a new option for range extension of vehicles in use today.
The PosiCharge demonstration marks the emergence of a new market. Public infrastructure was difficult to establish when recharge times were six to eight hours. With the PosiCharge technology breakthrough, many locations are now viable recharge sites: restaurants, rest stops, and shopping malls. The same PosiCharge station can be used to charge automobiles, trucks and buses. Fast charging is widely held as an available solution to greatly improve the usable daily range of an electric vehicle.
AeroVironment predicts PosiCharge will be used extensively by utility companies and municipal governments to build the so-called "electric vehicle corridors," electric vehicle-friendly regions where owners are assured of a quick recharge during their journey.
The PosiCharge design incorporates an industry standard connector in compliance with SAE J-1772 for conductive charging equipment. The system also complies with SAE J-2293, the standard for communication and control. Though the first production deliveries are for industrial use, a consumer version will be offered later this year.
PosiCharge is sold and serviced through a nationwide distribution network of large utility companies including Southern Co., Boston Edison, Central and Southwest, Hawaiian Electric Co. and Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
Several automotive companies have embraced fast charging standards. Ford Motor Co. took delivery of the first production intent PosiCharge unit at its Electric Vehicle Division last November. The system has been used to test a new fast charge version of the Ford Ranger EV. Ford has designated the PosiCharge as an approved charger for the new model truck.
Created in 1971 to meet environmental and energy needs now and in the future, AeroVironment has a long-standing track record of success through creative engineering solutions which emphasize efficiency, performance, and alternative energy. Active in the development of new marketplaces, AeroVironment's products lead the industry in electric vehicles, distributed energy generation and remotely piloted aircraft. Visit the company's website at www.aerovironment.com.
NOTE TO EDITORS: PosiCharge is a registered trademark of AeroVironment Inc.
