Feb 11 2009
UQM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (NYSE Alternext US: UQM), a developer of alternative energy technologies, announced today that an EcoRide BE35 battery-electric transit bus, developed by Proterra LLC, Golden, Colorado, a leading innovator and manufacturer of clean commercial transit solutions, is being showcased on a four city California clean bus tour which began in San Jose on February 6th.
The zero emission, fast-charge, battery-electric transit bus is powered by a UQM® PowerPhase®150 propulsion system. The EcoRide BE35 is designed to help communities significantly reduce air and noise pollution while dramatically reducing vehicle operating costs. After San Jose, the bus will make stops in selected California cities including Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco.
Built from the ground-up as a battery-electric zero emission transit vehicle in Colorado, Proterra’s transit solution boasts innovative advancements that significantly reduce the lifetime cost of ownership including:
- TerraVolt Energy Storage System - the industry’s only system that can be fully charged in less than 10 minutes; and the longest lasting energy storage system available for heavy duty applications;
- Flexible ProDrive and vehicle control system that can operate in battery-electric mode or with any small auxiliary power unit (APU) to extend vehicle range when needed;
- All-electric components optimized through vehicle management systems to reduce energy usage throughout the vehicle’s operating cycle;
- Regenerative braking system utilizing the UQM® PowerPhase®150 that enables the EcoRide BE35 to recapture over 90% of the vehicle’s kinetic energy available during braking; and
- Sophisticated battery management system operates at the ‘cell’ level to optimize energy efficiency and system life.
Proterra’s 35-foot EcoRide transit bus seats 37 passengers and features a lightweight composite body. The UQM® PowerPhase®150 electric propulsion system produces peak torque of 650 N-m and peak power of 150 kW (201 horsepower). The system has a continuous torque rating of 400 N-m and a continuous power rating of 100kW (134 horsepower). The system also features optimized four-quadrant performance, dynamic torque, speed and voltage control, regenerative braking and system energy efficiency of over 90 percent across substantially all of its performance regime.
“The fact is, emissions free transit is not a ‘nice to have,’ it is a must have for clean, healthy communities across California and the U.S. and UQM’s powerful and highly efficient electric propulsion system is a key component in achieving this objective,” said Dale Hill, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Proterra. “We’re thrilled to bring our clean transit solutions to California - where transit agencies need an economical solution available today to make progress toward recent emissions standards passed by the California Air Resources Board.”
“Proterra’s zero emission clean bus tour will put on display for transit operators the exceptional energy efficiency and performance lightweight purpose-built transit buses like the EcoRide BE35 can deliver using UQM® propulsion systems. We are confident that these operators will be excited by the sleek styling and lifetime cost reductions that are possible from this zero emission bus,” said William G. Rankin, UQM Technologies’ President and Chief Executive Officer.