Hybrid Electric Vehicle on U.S. Coast-to-Coast Tour
27 March 2000
Powered by Unique Mobility, Inc. Propulsion System Test Vehicle Arrives in Rocky Mountains as Part of Cross-Country Marathon
Endurance Run Doubling Fuel Mileage and Reducing Emissions on 3,200-Mile Trip
GOLDEN, Colo. - A hybrid electric-powered humvee operating with advanced
propulsion technology developed and manufactured by UNIQUE MOBILITY, INC.,
reaches a milestone on Monday when it will arrive at the Continental Divide of
the Rocky Mountains on a 3,200-mile marathon driving tour from Washington, D.C.
to San Francisco, California.
The Hybrid Electric Powered High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle
(HMMWV) developed by PEI Electronics, Inc. (PEI), Power Management Division is
making the cross-country endurance trip as part of extensive testing of this
vehicle's new advanced hybrid-electric power train. The vehicle, popularly
known as a "humvee," comes in two hybrid versions, a tactical model designed
for the U.S. Army and a general-purpose utility model.
After completing the coast-to-coast tour ending up at San Francisco's
Golden Gate Bridge, the utility model HMMWV will undergo extensive performance
testing at the Nevada Automotive Test Center near Reno, Nevada. A tactical
version already is being tested by the U.S. Army at the Aberdeen Proving
Grounds in Aberdeen, Maryland.
The fuel-saving low-exhaust HMMWV stopped off at Golden, the headquarters
of Unique Mobility, which designed and manufactured the permanent magnet
generator, electric drive motors and controllers used in the propulsion
system. "We are delighted to be working with PEI Electronics on this important
project," William G. Rankin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Unique
Mobility, said. "With the current increase in world oil prices, this is an
exceptional opportunity to reinforce the necessity and the merits of
fuel-saving and environmentally friendly forms of transportation."
Unique Mobility has scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. MST on Monday
at the Company's headquarters, where the vehicle will be on display for the
press and the public.
Progress on the development and testing of the hybrid HMMWV is being
closely watched by the U.S. Government. "Vehicles such as the hybrid HMMWV
serve the dual purpose of providing benefits to both the environment and the
economy," said Richard Truly, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's
National Renewable Energy Laboratory based in Golden. "They reduce fuel costs
and reduce toxic exhausts from polluting the atmosphere."
The environmental benefits of the hybrid HMMWV also were noted by Donald
L. Bullock, Vice President Power Management of PEI Electronics. "PEI is
utilizing the hybrid technology in applications for better fuel economy,
greater operational range, low exhaust emissions, low noise and high operating
performance", Mr. Bullock said. "The hybrid tactical HMMWV and utility models
can provide significant benefits to both military and commercial markets."
The utility model being used for the cross-country tour is a modified
version of the more powerful tactical HMMWV developed for the military, which
is also powered by a Unique Mobility hybrid electric propulsion system. The
utility model utilizes a small 1.9-liter diesel-fueled engine and Unique
Mobility's permanent magnet generator to produce 55 kilowatts of electrical
power to maintain the long-term operation of the vehicle. Two 100 kilowatt
(125 horsepower) permanent magnet motors developed by Unique Mobility, one for
each axle, power the vehicle. The vehicle with its 3,000-pound payload
accelerates from 0 m.p.h. to 50 m.p.h. in only 10 seconds -- nearly one-half
that of a standard HMMWV. An operating range of up to 375 miles is possible
with a smaller than normal tank of diesel fuel. The vehicle's increased fuel
economy of up to 16 miles per gallon is twice that of the standard HMMWV.
This vehicle has high on-and off-road mobility and excellent performance
even in the poorest conditions. It has a top speed of more than 70 m.p.h. and
can climb a 60% grade at over 15 m.p.h. while carrying a full payload.
Operating in its "electric only" mode with the diesel engine off allows the
vehicle to maneuver quietly and with a low thermal (heat) signature for
stealth missions.
The cross-country tour began on March 15 in Washington D.C. and is taking
a route that includes Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago and Denver. After crossing
the Continental Divide and the Rocky Mountains, the remaining stops on the
journey will be Reno and Monterey before ending the trip in San Francisco.
The Hybrid Electric HMMWV program was initiated in 1992 in cooperative
research and development agreements between PEI Electronics and the U.S.
Army's Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, Michigan, with Unique
Mobility as a member of the development team. Ultimately, work on the project
will lead to the dual use of the technology by the U.S. Army, other government
agencies and commercial users.
Unique Mobility, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of power
dense, high efficiency motors, gear assemblies and electronic assemblies for
the automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, medical and industrial markets.
A major emphasis of the Company is developing products for the alternative
energy technologies sector including electric, hybrid-electric and fuel cell
electric vehicle and distributed power markets. The Company's headquarters and
engineering and product development center are located in Golden, Colorado.
Manufacturing facilities are in Frederick, Colorado (electric motors and gear
assemblies) and St. Charles, Missouri (electronic assemblies and wire
harnesses).
PEI Electronics, Inc., an integrated defense technologies company, is
located in Huntsville, Alabama, where it employs a staff of more than 400.
Formerly a division of DaimlerChrysler Corporation, PEI has been involved in
the development of electric and hybrid electric vehicles and components since
1976 under various internal programs and programs funded by the Department of
Energy, Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, DARPA and the
Electric Power Research Institute. PEI produces automatic test equipment,
vetronics, and power management equipment for the U.S. Army and industry.
