Ovonic NiMH Batteries Lead American Tour De Sol for Seventh Consecutive Year
26 May 2000
Ovonic NiMH Batteries Lead American Tour De Sol for Seventh Consecutive Year TROY, Mich., May 25 Energy Conversion Devices, Inc.
("ECD") announced today that Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH)
batteries developed by its subsidiary, Ovonic Battery Company, Inc. ("Ovonic
Battery"), powered several electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric
vehicles (HEVs) to victory at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's
American Tour de Sol competition conducted from May 12 to May 19, 2000.
A production General Motors EV1, equipped with NiMH batteries produced by
GM Ovonic L.L.C., the joint manufacturing venture between GM and Ovonic
Battery, achieved a range of 225 miles on a single charge. For the seventh
consecutive year, a vehicle powered with Ovonic NiMH batteries exceeded the
200-mile range on a single charge -- the first time this has been achieved
with a production-specific design vehicle. The EV1 was the overall winner in
the EV category.
In the one-person category, a two-wheel electric scooter, modified by
Ovonic Battery and powered with Ovonic NiMH batteries, achieved a range of 73
miles with an efficiency equivalent to more than 300 miles per gallon of
gasoline. The Ovonic scooter was the overall first place winner among the
one-person vehicle entries.
Introduced to the public just a few weeks ago, 10 production Honda Insight
HEVs were entered by their owners in this year's Tour de Sol. In addition to
the small displacement gasoline engine, HEVs use an electric motor for initial
drive-away and during acceleration. The Honda Insight uses Ovonic NiMH
technology with batteries produced by a Japanese company. Overall, the
Insight cars had an average fuel economy of 75 miles per gallon, with the
winner achieving 90 miles per gallon.
To introduce future vehicle engineers and designers to advanced vehicle
technologies using alternate and renewable energy sources, the Tour de Sol
competition includes students from high schools and colleges. Two teams using
Ovonic NiMH batteries achieved impressive results. The New Hampshire
Technological Institute had the fastest acceleration time of any electric
vehicle entered in the competition. An HEV designed and built by students at
Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan, achieved a range of
318 miles for first place in the range category.
Commenting on this year's winning performances, CEO of ECD and Ovonic
Battery, Stanford R. Ovshinsky, said, "These impressive performances in both
EVs and HEVs demonstrate the versatility of Ovonic NiMH batteries with their
superior energy density (range) and high power (acceleration). We are pleased
that so many competitors and original equipment manufacturers are selecting
Ovonic NiMH batteries for both EV and HEV applications."
This year's Tour de Sol was conducted on public roads and highways between
New York City and Washington, D.C. at normal road speeds, demonstrating the
practicality of EVs and HEVs in urban driving conditions.
ECD is a leader in the synthesis of new materials and the development of
advanced production technology and innovative products. It has pioneered and
developed enabling technologies leading to new products and production
processes based on amorphous, disordered and related materials, with an
emphasis on advanced information technologies and alternative energy,
including hydride storage materials capable of storing hydrogen in a solid
state for use as a feed stock for fuel cells or as a fuel cell for internal
combustion engines. ECD's web site address is http://www.ovonic.com .
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of
the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions which ECD, as
of the date of this release, believes to be reasonable and appropriate. ECD
cautions, however, that the actual facts and conditions that may exist in the
future could vary materially from the assumed facts and conditions upon which
such forward-looking statements are based.
