Enova Systems, an early stage production company in an emerging industry and a leading developer of proprietary electric, hybrid and fuel cell digital power management systems, announced today it has designed, integrated and delivered thirteen (13) GMC 2500 service vans with Enova's unique Post-Transmission Parallel Hybrid Drive System to Verizon. Verizon owns the 2nd largest vehicle fleet in North America, estimated at 58,000 vehicles, behind only UPS in total fleet vehicles in service. Enova fully designed and integrated its Post-Transmission 120 kW Hybrid Drive system into the vehicles for use in Verizon's fleet. Verizon formally announced the project from its Hyattsville, Maryland, work center on March 6, 2007.
"To work with the nation's 2nd largest fleet owner is a significant step for our company and the entire hybrid electric drive system industry. We are pleased that Verizon has acknowledged us as a leader in the hybrid technology market. Our Post-Transmission Technology offers Verizon both future production and retrofit capability and we are excited to begin a long-term and successful alliance with them," stated Mike Staran, Enova's Executive Vice President.
Enova's Post-Transmission System is one in which the Electric Drive System is integrated behind the Transmission and is designed to be installed as a "drop in," fully integrated turnkey fashion into an OEM production line, or retrofitted in post vehicle production in a modular, "as-needed" basis. Enova's Post-Transmission System has proven to be a non-invasive system that has required little to no modifications to chassis, body, Instrument Panel, etc. In addition, the system does not intrude on, or require any alteration to, the calibration of Engine Control/Communication systems, thus avoiding any emissions certification issues. Enova's system monitors but does not impact anything that exists within the existing engine. The Charge Sustaining System utilizes relatively small batteries which are maintained within specified range of State of Charge (SOC) over the entire drive cycle. Battery charge is maintained by the on-board equipment and is not normally recharged from the grid except as needed for cell balancing. Depending on the route, fuel economy, in miles per gallon (mpg) improvement, is from 30% to 55% or better for the Post-Transmission Charge Sustaining System. Emission improvements vary with the pollutant being measured and has shown up to a 90% improvement at times on Particulate Matter based on load and operating condition dependent.
Enova's unique Post-Transmission System offers customers a non-invasive solution to enter the Hybrid Vehicle Market in either the retrofit or new vehicle segment. The Post-Transmission System is comprised of a proprietary AC induction electric motor, controller and energy management system, and is designed and engineered as a total production ready solution.