With the support of strategic partner ITOCHU Corporation (ITOCHU), who organized this project, EnerDel provided engineering support on the delivery of the first two postal service vehicles to Japan Post via Zero Sports.
The drivetrain is being used to convert a gasoline -powered truck to run entirely on electric drive. The real -life data will be shared with other users and potential customers of electric vehicles, including other postal fleets in Europe and the Americas.
Initially developed for the Th!nk City electric car, the complete system is the first of its kind to provide off-the-shelf availability combined with made-to-order performance in a wide variety of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric vehicle (EV) applications.
“The ability to deliver a fully integrated, road-ready package that can be quickly tailored to suit a wide range of vehicle solutions is a major step forward for both of our companies,” said Ener1 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Charles Gassenheimer. “By significantly reducing time-to-market for our customers and meeting accelerated production milestones has opened up avenues of opportunity in exciting new programs. We are happy to be able to announce one such program today.”
The new technology platform being utilized for this program unites Think’s EV drive system with EnerDel’s lithium-ion battery technology. A spin-out of Ford Motor Company in 2003, Think has more than 18 years’ experience in producing environmentally friendly vehicles. The two companies began an active partnership in 2007, with EnerDel developing a 26-kWh battery system for the Th!nk City vehicle, the first pure electric vehicle of its kind to use the next-generation technology.
“We have seen growing interest in supplying Think’s proprietary EV drive system to third parties, a significant new business line and revenue opportunity,” said Think CEO Richard Canny. “Our long standing relationship with EnerDel has culminated in one of the most advanced battery electric drive train systems in the world, producing reliable, high performance systems, which are both cost-effective and highly adaptable.”
The Japan Postal Service is currently converting 25% of its fleet of combustion engine vehicles to electric drive as part of a government push to accelerate market adoption and infrastructure development for electric drive vehicles. It is anticipated that federal fleets across the world will be soon to follow their example. Initially they will develop a fleet of pure electric vehicles for testing in general business and sales use in the Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures, where the two conversion vehicles are currently undergoing on-road testing.
“Asia has long pioneered the future of electric drive, and Japan in particular has been a global leader in advancing its adoption,” Gassenheimer said. “We are pleased to be working on such a high-profile project, and excited to be contributing EnerDel’s proprietary lithium-ion battery technology designed and produced here in America. Working alongside our European partner Think, this has become a valuable global enterprise.”
ITOCHU is a Japan-based trading company and seed investor in Ener1.
