BAT and Kummerow to develop zinc-air-powered delivery van
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 1996
Kummerow Corp. of North America, in which BAT International Inc has acquired a 20 percent ownership position, has just released the announcement below.
Kummerow is pursuing commercialization of zinc-air batteries for electric vehicles. BAT has been working with Kummerow to initiate demonstration projects worldwide for delivery vehicles using zinc-air batteries.
Recent testing of the first 100 production batteries shipped to BAT has resulted in a significant jump in performance (20 percent increase in amp hour availability) from prior prototype testing. This is significant because production batteries rarely even match the performance of a prototype battery, let alone exceed them by 20 percent.
A battery bank of 12 lead-acid batteries was stacked up against only two zinc-air batteries to complete a discharge test. The batteries lasted more than 12 hours on one charge, which indicates that vehicle range will easily exceed 240 miles in a production vehicle. This is more than four times the range of a lead-acid battery in good weather and six to eight times the range in cold weather.
It is interesting to note the reluctance of General Motors to sell EV1s anywhere except Southern California and Arizona. Considering the performance of lead-acid batteries in cold weather, this is not surprising. An EV1 with a 70- to 90-mile range in warm weather may drop to about half that range in cold weather.
Data on Kummerow zinc-air batteries confirms that there is no loss of range at 0 degrees C. This is particularly important, since the cost of the two batteries is comparable.
BAT is committed to developing electric vehicles with good cold-climate performance by developing cost-effective batteries and other systems. This will allow BAT to focus marketing efforts in the northeastern United States, Europe and other cold-climate regions worldwide.
A marketing flier for the Electrovan will be available to the public in late December. The electric delivery van will be offered at a price of $27,790 (after tax credits: $24,990) starting in July 1997 in the United States and in selected countries around the world.
The standard Electrovan will be offered with lead-acid batteries. An option to purchase delivery vans with zinc-air batteries will be offered in areas where at least 10 vehicles are purchased and infrastructure for refueling is available.
BAT and Kummerow have developed a low-cost refueling system for zinc-air batteries. BAT has also completed engineering of a battery- exchange system in the delivery van that will allow batteries to easily be exchanged in less than five minutes.
Market introduction of delivery vans in various target countries is now under discussion. The availability of a zinc-air-battery delivery-van option will be particularly important in countries that are seeking to develop electric vehicles and infrastructure for refueling simultaneously, since it offers a five-minute refueling system, low-cost batteries and a very functional and cost-effective chassis and electric drive system.
BAT will be providing a package that includes vehicles, refueling systems and economic-development programs to allow local manufacturing.
The Kummerow announcement follows.
GM's EV1 fuels battery sales
Fueled by publicity surrounding the launch of General Motors' EV1 electric car, Kummerow Corp. of Burbank is reporting strong 1997 sales of its advanced Zinc-Air Battery.
Zinc-air batteries deliver about four times the range of a lead-acid battery. Interest in this battery technology has increased since car manufacturers around the world have jumped into electric-vehicle manufacturing to keep up with General Motors.
Kummerow's owner-president, Hans W. Kummerow, said: ``I would like to thank GM for their EV1 rollout because it has boosted interest in our battery technology immensely.'' With a Zinc-Air Battery pack in a vehicle comparable to an EV1, the range would be 300 miles, instead of 70 to 90 miles with lead-acid batteries.
The company has already sold 14,000 cells in the last few weeks and is back-ordered until 1998. Batteries are manufactured on a volume production line in Karlsruhe, Germany. Kummerow is planning a U.S. production plant that is scheduled to begin production in late 1997.
Kummerow holds worldwide rights to the technology, which is protected in the U.S. market by trademark ``Zoxy-Blitz'' and other pending patents.
The U.S. production rights have been acquired by BAT International, a Burbank-based corporation, through a licensing arrangement signed in mid-1996, which also includes some international options.
BAT International also acquired a 20 percent ownership in Kummerow NA through a stock transaction. BAT International received the first production shipment of zinc-air batteries in early December, with an additional 250 units scheduled for delivery in late December.
CONTACT: BAT International, Burbank
Bill Wason, 818/565-5555
or
Kummerow Corp. of North America, Burbank
Hans Kummerow, 818/565-5688
818/846-5281 (fax) |
