U.S. Army pays UQM Technologies $244,000 for advanced vehicle propulsion motor research

Perhaps you remember the all-electric Silverado (above) we reported on a few months back. The company behind that truck is UQM Technologies, and the Silverado was converted to electric use for the Air Force. UQM also works with the Army, and yesterday announced it has received a "follow-on contract" from the Army's Tank - Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) for further development of an "advanced vehicle propulsion motor for application as a wheel mounted electric propulsion system." The idea is to crank more and more torque from smaller and smaller packages, and UQM thinks that permanent magnet propulsion motors are the way to go. The Army is paying UQM $244,608 (apparently 77 percent of the total cost) for this work. I'm telling ya, stealth motors.

UQM's full press release is after the jump. UQM also works with Phoenix Motors on that company's BEVs and announced PHEVs.

[Source: UQM Technologies, Inc.]

UQM Technologies Receives Follow-On Contract From the U.S. Army to Continue Development of Advanced Vehicle Propulsion Motor

REDERICK, Colo., June 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UQM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (AMEX:UQM) , a developer of alternative energy technologies, announced today that it has received a follow-on contract from the U.S. Army's Tank - Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) to continue the development of an advanced vehicle propulsion motor for application as a wheel mounted electric propulsion system. The ten month development effort will focus on refinements to the assembly process and design improvements to the proprietary permanent magnet electric concept motor that has demonstrated the potential to triple the torque capability of existing UQM(R) propulsion motors. Army funding for the cost-share project is $244,608 or 77 percent of the total effort.

"The proof of concept motor built and tested in the initial phase of this program validated the enhanced performance capability of this new proprietary propulsion system design. This contract will allow us to develop a number of design enhancements to the proof-of-concept propulsion system which we believe will lead to improved performance and ease of construction. This program is focused on expanding the ability of our permanent magnet propulsion motors to deliver higher levels of torque and power in a small package which is critical to the success of wheel motors for large military vehicles that are candidates for hybrid electric propulsion," said William G. Rankin, UQM Technologies' President and Chief Executive Officer. "We expect through this development program and our other ongoing development activities, to continue to expand the performance capabilities of our proprietary permanent magnet propulsion systems technology to meet this industry requirement."

UQM Technologies, Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of power dense, high efficiency electric motors, generators and power electronic controllers for the automotive, aerospace, medical, military and industrial markets. A major emphasis of the Company is developing products for the alternative energy technologies sector including propulsion systems for electric, hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell electric vehicles, under-the- hood power accessories and other vehicle auxiliaries and distributed power generation applications. The Company's headquarters, engineering and product development center, and motor manufacturing operation are located in Frederick, Colorado. For more information on the Company, please visit its worldwide website at http://www.uqm.com/.