Mar 26 2007
UQM Technologies Inc.,. announced today that it has been awarded an additional $1.0 million contract supplement to an existing U.S. Air Force contract to convert a conventional one-half ton pickup truck to all-electric operation using an optimized configuration of currently available advanced technologies. The contract supplement provides funding for an additional vehicle testbed and for the continued development of an electronic motor/generator controller that utilizes high operating temperature silicon carbide power switching modules. The controller is being developed for the USAF Advanced Power Technology Office of the 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing at Robins Air Force Base in cooperation with the U.S. Army National Automotive Center and Mississippi State University. The USAF expects to field test the controller in the all-electric pickup truck testbeds being built by the Company and powered by lithium ion batteries. The contract supplement increases the total contract value to $2.83 million and extends the expected completion date to November 30, 2008.
Commenting on the award, Jon Lutz, UQM Technologies’ Director of Engineering said, “Silicon carbide power modules of the type being developed in this program offer the advantage of substantially higher operating temperatures when compared to traditional silicon modules. This funding supplement will allow us to continue our development of a new generation of motor/generator controllers that use silicon carbide modules and are able to operate in harsher environments. This technology is of significant interest to both military and commercial electric propulsion customers, and we are excited that the Air Force has provided substantial additional funding to move this technology toward commercialization.”