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Technology Stocks : Energy Conversion Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Devlin who wrote (2734)	12/3/1998 7:03:00 PM
From: Franck MAZEYRAT	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 8393

Thursday December 3, 1:39 pm Eastern Time Company Press Release SOURCE: DaimlerChrysler Corporation DaimlerChrysler Will Deliver Electric Minivans to California PHOENIX, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- DaimlerChrysler (NYSE: DCX - news) will deliver 120 electric minivans to 11 dealers in California, making them available for fleet lease. EPIC (Electric Powered Interurban Commuter), an electric version of the 1999 Dodge Caravan, is the world's only electric minivan. The vehicle has a top speed of 80 miles per hour and a driving range of up to 100 miles. ''With EPIC, we're combining our latest ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicle) technology with the utility of our minivans,'' said Craig Love, DaimlerChrysler's Engineering Director of Electric Vehicles, at the North American Electric Vehicle and Infrastructure Conference in Phoenix. ''The result is an electric vehicle that offers unsurpassed passenger/cargo carrying flexibility and the clean, quiet power of electric drive.'' DaimlerChrysler will make EPIC available in California for fleet leasing at a rate of $450 per month for a three-year period. Included with the vehicle is an off-board universal conductive charger which recharges the vehicle within five hours. The charger also has the capability of recharging competitive electric vehicles. When used with a 90kW conductive fast charger, EPIC can be recharged in less than 30 minutes. ''We built on our five years of experience with conductive 'fast charge' technology,'' said Love. ''Conductive fast charging allows fleet managers to refuel quickly and get their vehicles back on the road and back to business.'' EPIC is powered by an AC traction motor. ''Fuel'' for EPIC is stored in a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack located under the interior floor of the minivan. To maximize vehicle range and reduce road friction, EPIC uses P205/75R/15 low-rolling resistance tires. In addition, a regenerative braking system is activated when the brakes are applied, charging the battery during vehicle deceleration. ''At DaimlerChrysler, we are constantly exploring alternative fuel technologies and the energy conversion systems that use these fuels to provide environment-friendly automotive transportation,'' said Love. ''EPIC is our state-of-the-art entry into the electric vehicle segment. While there's still a gap in cost and operation range between electric and gasoline-powered vehicles, we're working hard to make electric vehicles a truly viable alternative.'' EPIC production takes place at the company's Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, on the same production line where gasoline-powered minivans are built. The only noticeable difference in the production process is that an electric motor and battery pack are installed as opposed to a gas engine and fuel tank. Since 1983, the former Chrysler Corporation, now known as DaimlerChrysler, has sold over seven million minivans. The company sells approximately 700,000 minivans worldwide every year and has a 45 percent share of the North American minivan market. Industry-wide, minivans account for eight percent of all new vehicles sold in North America. DaimlerChrysler minivans, which include Plymouth Voyager, Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country are manufactured in St. Louis, Missouri; Windsor, Ontario; and Graz, Austria. SOURCE: DaimlerChrysler Corporation