PLUG OK license plate
EnergyCS/EDrive deliver first PHEV conversion
Apr 6, 2006 (From the CalCars-News archive)
CalCars-News
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This is EnergyCS/EDrive's first announcement of a shipping vehicle; CalCars' vehicle is next. For an explanation of the relationship between CalCars and EDrive, see http://www.calcars.org/­faq.html.

For information about your options for getting a conversion, see http://www.calcars.org/­howtoget.html and see EDrive's instructions for how to get on their mailing list, at the end of this press release.

http://www.edrivesystems.com/­news.html First Commercial Plug-In Hybrid Electric Prius Vehicle (PHEV) Delivered; Toyota Prius Demonstration Versions Delivered to Leading CA Air Quality Agency

Los Angeles, March 31, 2006--EnergyCS, the Monrovia-based engineering firm, announced today that it has delivered the first Toyota Prius sedan retrofitted with plug-in hybrid technology to California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) for testing and evaluation. This vehicle is the first of eight demonstration vehicles ordered as part of contracts between EnergyCS and the South Coast AQMD as well as other electric utility partners. In early testing, the vehicles have averaged over 100 MPG by combining grid electricity with the existing hybrid technology. Using a normal house outlet, a nightly re-charge of about $1 worth of electricity cuts the Toyota Prius gasoline consumption in half for over 50 miles the follwing day.

After the additional electricity has been spent, the vehicles perform like a standard Prius until plugged in again. The South Coast AQMD, which is a leader in supporting new clean-air technologies, issued a contract for up to six of the demonstration vehicles in September.

The PHEV systems, which will be commercialized under the EDrive(tm) brand name, have been in open development since April of 2005. "EnergyCS is proud to be leading this program with AQMD and our other project partners. Our demonstration protoypes for this program and our other early adopters will provide valuable data for plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles in real world driving conditions. This is an exciting project and we've come a long way since last year!" said Pete Nortman, president of EnergyCS.

The EnergyCS plug-in Prius uses approximately 9kWh of advanced lithium-ion batteries, which, while costly at present, are recognized as one of the promising of battery technologies for plug in HEV applications due to their extremely high energy density.

EDrive hopes to begin taking orders from consumers for the systems soon. "The delivery of the demonstration vehicles is a significant step towards a commercial version of the system," said Greg Hanssen, President of EDrive. "Before a PHEV retrofit can be marketed to the public, it's roadworthiness and durability has to be proven. It's not just about throwing a few extra batteries into the back of a Prius." The system, which works with the second-generation Prius, is expected to retail for under $12,000 when full production is reached.

EDrive Systems LLC was formed in 2005 to manufacture and market the retrofit, which will initially be installed and serviced by Clean-Tech, LLC. Once the Toyota Prius systems begin commercial delivery, EnergyCS plans to develop additional plug in platforms and work with project partners to develop new technologies revolving around its core competencies in batteries, electronics, vehicle and HVDC power system integration.

More information can be found at
www.edrivesystems.com as well as the new EDrive
PHEV discussion group on Yahoo.
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/­group/­edrivephev/­

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