Ener1 and Th!nk Combine To Electrify Japan's Postal Fleet

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1,516 views Jul 29, 2009

Japan Post EV

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Ener1 and Think have teamed up to provide an integrated electric drive system for the Japan Post.  The vehicles will undergo full electric conversions at the Japanese based company Zero Sports.

Ener1 supplies the lithium-ion batteries required for the vehicle while Think is responsible  for the powertrain components.   The combined package is then installed in current Japan Post vehicles converting the gasoline and diesel powered vehicles to electric.

Zero Sports was chosen by the Japanese government as the main company responsible for converting the entire postal fleet of 22,000 vehicles to operate on electricity alone.  Japan has accelerated the conversion program and hopes to accomplish the conversion in a timely manner.

Two conversions have been successfully completed at this point leaving thousands left, but the process is underway.  The powertrain was originally developed for the Think City, but the orders from the Japan's Post are a welcomed source of additional funds for the company.

The fleet of EVs will be tracked for mileage, real life costs, reliability, and so on.  This data will be sent to other postal services throughout the world.  If the data received is positive, it's likely that other countries will follow Japan's lead.

According to Think, the key to the success of the powertrain system lies in the ability for it to be easily integrated into many different types of vehicles.  Think and Ener1 have produced an easily integrated package that could see widespread use in vehicles other than initially intended.

Source:  Press Release  Ener1 and Think

Press Release

Ener1 Lithium‐ion Battery System, Think Electric Drivetrain

Together Selected for Japan Postal Service EV Conversion Program

First Integrated Platform of Its Kind Offers Quick, Cost‐Effective

Solution Scalable to Suit Wide Range of Vehicle Applications

___________________________________________________________________________________

(New York, NY) July 27, 2009 – A new, fully integrated electric drive train developed by electric vehicle pioneer, Think, and powered by a lithium‐ion battery system made by U.S.‐based EnerDel (subsidiary of Ener1, Inc. NASDAQ: HEV), has been delivered to Japan Post via Zero Sports. Zero Sports of Japan has been selected by Japan Post as one of the conversion partners for delivering vehicles as part of a comprehensive on‐road testing program which has been fast‐tracked by the Japan Postal Service to electrify their fleet of 22,000 delivery vehicles. With the support of strategic partner ITOCHU Corporation, 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 major 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 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 industry