Looks like EFCX could be great competition for VLNC. Any comments. This was released today from Yahoo.
Chisy
...........................................................
Tuesday May 1, 11:15 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Electric Fuel Corporation
Electric Fuel Announces Electric Bus Test Drive Program to Commence in May; First Test Drives in New York, Followed by on-Road Drives in Nevada
NEW YORK, May 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric Fuel Corporation (Nasdaq: EFCX - news) today announced that the first set of test drives under its Phase 2 contract with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the development and evaluation of a zinc-air electric transit bus will commence this month at a test track in New York State.
The Company also said that it expects to demonstrate the bus in its first on-road demonstration drives in Las Vegas, Nevada, later this year. Following those drives, the bus is to be further upgraded by the integration of ultracapacitors in the electric drivetrain, which is intended to improve performance, efficiency and cost of operation.
Electric Fuel said that the test-track drives are scheduled to continue at least until the end of the summer, and will concentrate on evaluating the operating performance of the full-length, 40-foot, battery-battery hybrid electric transit bus developed and integrated under a previous FTA contract covering Phase 1 of the program.
During the course of the testing this summer, the Company hopes to show that the bus meets all requirements for a transit bus, including range, acceleration, and the ability to operate with power-consuming auxiliary equipment such as air conditioning. The test drives will include constant-velocity driving such as is typical in suburban transit systems, as well as urban stop-and-go driving cycles such as the standard CBD-14 transit duty cycle.
Electric Fuel said that it will refuel the bus using a prototype mobile refueling system developed with funding from the U.S.-Israel Bi-national R&D (``BIRD'') Fund, and using fuel cassettes produced at its Bet Shemesh, Israel, facility. About 4 or 5 fuel cassette exchanges are expected during the course of the summer's testing.
The Zinc-Air Electric Transit Bus Program was initiated in late 1998 to demonstrate the ability of Electric Fuel's patented zinc-air fuel cell system to power a full-size, all-electric transit bus, providing a full day's range for heavy-duty city and suburban routes, under all weather conditions. At the conclusion of Phase I in July 2000, Electric Fuel announced that it had successfully completed the first actual driving tests of the bus. Participation of the FTA in the 50% cost-shared, $2.7 million Phase 2 of the program was announced in January 2001.
About Electric Fuel
Electric Fuel Corporation (http://www.electric-fuel.com), with corporate and sales offices in New York and London, England, and manufacturing and R&D facilities in Israel and Alabama, is a world leader in primary and refuelable Zinc-Air fuel cell technology, pioneering advancements in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and defense and safety products. Electric Fuel's INSTANT POWER(TM) batteries and chargers are based on the Company's patented, cutting-edge Zinc Air fuel cell technology, and are on sale at retail outlets throughout the United States, Europe and Israel.
Except for the historical information herein, the matters discussed in this news release include forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as they are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary significantly. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks relating to: product and technology development; the uncertainty of the market for Electric Fuel's products; development and growth of anticipated markets for Electric Fuel's products; market acceptance of new products and continuing product demand; the ability to manage growth and ramp-up production effectively as needed; the impact of competitive products and pricing on Electric Fuel's products and markets; changing economic conditions; delay, cancellation or non-renewal of purchase orders; significant future capital requirements; and other risk factors detailed in Electric Fuel's most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Electric Fuel assumes no obligation to update the information in this release. Reference to the Company's website above does not constitute incorporation of any of the information thereon into this press release.
This release and prior releases are available on the KCSA Public Relations Worldwide Web site at kcsa.com.
MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here
tbutton.prnewswire.com
SOURCE: Electric Fuel Corporation |
