Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. today announced the receipt of a follow-on $850,000 purchase order for its advanced lithium-ion battery modules required by Proterra to satisfy immediate end customer requirements for new all electric and hybrid electric transit buses. This purchase is a follow-on order from the initial $898,400 contract announced in August 2009. At that time, Proterra purchased battery modules for several zero-emission demonstration buses, one of which was displayed to Washington D.C. policymakers in October 2009.
"This latest purchase order will allow Proterra to meet its immediate customer needs while we work out the remaining details of the more comprehensive agreement. We have been collaborating with Proterra for over two years and are excited for the customer interest and traction that they are starting to achieve," said Terry Copeland, President and Chief Executive Officer of Altairnano. "We look forward to growing our mutual relationship as demand for Proterra's product increases as a result of the expanding availability of federal funding for transit bus purchases."
"Altairnano's battery technology coupled with Proterra's expertise in the design and manufacturing of efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible transit solutions will give us a significant competitive advantage," said Jeff Granato, Chief Executive Officer of Proterra. "The distinctive performance attributes of Altairnano's battery technology specific to our customers' requirements will make our product offering unique."
Altairnano will supply Proterra with battery modules based on Altairnano's 1P10S configuration. Designed for use in commercial EV & HEV applications, the 1P10S module is expected to withstand the rigors of commercial transportation by offering high cycle life, reliability, and high power. The 1P10S module configuration features an operating temperature range between -40°C to +55°C (-40°F to +131°F), which enables battery modules to operate effectively in broad temperature extremes, from cold Boston winters to the summer heat of the Southwest. These 24-volt battery modules utilize Altairnano's 50Ah cell, feature a 10-minute charge when coupled with appropriate charging facilities and provide a cycle life up to 9,000 100% depth of discharge cycles.
The modules will primarily be used in the production of all-electric, 35-foot Proterra FCBE 35 transit buses. The FCBE 35 is the bus that demonstrated a fuel economy equivalency approaching 20 miles per gallon as measured by the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute at Penn State University. This achievement is recognized to be up to 400 percent better than today's conventional diesel or competitor's hybrid transit buses.
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