Carmanah Launches into European Union
2003-05-05 16:39 (New York)
Carmanah Technologies Corp.
FSC / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 5, 2003
(No.2003-05-07)
CARMANAH LAUNCHES INTO EUROPEAN UNION WITH NEW SOLAR BUS STOPS AND SHELTERS
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada - May 5, 2003 - Carmanah Technologies
Corporation (TSX VE: CMH) will celebrate the worldwide launch of its new
i-SHELTER(tm) solar-powered illuminated bus shelter at the UITP Mobility &
City Transport Exhibition in Madrid, Spain, May 5-8, 2003. The international
event will also mark the move of Carmanah's successful i-STOP(tm)
solar-powered, illuminated bus stop beyond North America into Europe's
multibillion-dollar transit market.
"We are excited to use this conference of the world's largest urban and
regional transport exhibition as our launching pad to Europe," said Carmanah
CEO Art Aylesworth. "Proportionally, bus travel in the EU is more than twice
as important as it is in North America, and we have already found this market
to be very receptive to our 'green' products."
The i-SHELTER(tm) is an new, innovative solution for bus stop lighting: a
completely self-contained, solar-powered bus shelter. The i-STOP(tm) bus stop
has been installed in hundreds of locations continent-wide since its
introduction to North America in September 2002. The i-STOP(tm) includes an
illuminated bus schedule, an overhead security light and a user-activated
flashing beacon to notify bus drivers when a stop is required.
Both the i-SHELTER(tm) and i-STOP(tm) use ultra-long-lasting LEDs
(light-emitting diodes) with solar power as an alternative energy source.
They are designed to operate autonomously with zero operational expenses for
up to five years, at which point only the fully-recyclable battery pack
requires replacement. Due to their unique design, the i-SHELTER(tm) and
i-STOP(tm) can be installed easily with no digging, wiring or external
electrical connections, eliminating traffic delays and disruptions to local
power sources or street aesthetics.
"The E.U.'s trillion dollar annual transportation market has consistently
outpaced economic growth and we expect transit to grow even faster. We
already see this technology taking off in Central London, where proceeds from
a new city entry toll on cars are being used to expand bus services by 40
percent. The E.U. is a fertile economic environment for Carmanah to build on
its North American transit success" said Carmanah V. P. Mike Ball.
Organized by the Brussels-based International Association of Public Transport
(UITP), the Mobility & City Transport Exhibition will be held in conjunction
with the 55th biennial UITP World Congress and is expected to draw 20,000
attendees from more than 80 countries. Carmanah's products for the European
market, including the i-SHELTER(tm) and i-STOP(tm), will be on display at
booth "9d610" at Madrid's Juan Carlos I Exhibition Centre, May 5 - 8, 2003.
About Carmanah Technologies Inc.
Carmanah is an award winning alternative energy manufacturer specializing in
patented solar-powered LED lighting solutions for the marine, transit,
roadway, railway, mining and aviation markets. The company has more than
50,000 units installed in 110 countries. The shares of Carmanah Technologies
Corporation (parent company) are publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange
under the symbol "CMH" and on the Berlin and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under
the symbol "QCX". For more information, please visit www.carmanah.com. |
