Company Acquires Larger Manufacturing Facility to Accommodate Expected Growth
FREDERICK, Colo.—UQM Technologies announced earlier this year that it has received an order from Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. for a propulsion system to be incorporated into Quantum’s Quiet™ high-efficiency battery electric drive system. The system will power an advanced electric postal delivery vehicle that Quantum is developing for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Based on the widely used Grumman Long Life Vehicle (LLV), the vehicle is being developed under a one-year demonstration and validation program to be conducted by the USPS in Washington, D.C.
A successful demonstration in the nation’s capital could pave the way to broad adoption of battery electric vehicles in the USPS fleet. Electrification of the 178,000-strong LLV segment of the postal delivery fleet, the largest civilian fleet in the country, will help to reduce emissions across the country and reduce dependence on foreign petroleum while supporting the continued development of the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) industry.
“We are pleased to be selected by Quantum for this important program,” said William G. Rankin, president and CEO of UQM Technologies, in a statement. “We have a long history of collaborating with Quantum on successful clean vehicle programs for the U.S. Military and other commercial customers, and we expect this program to result in a vehicle that exceeds the USPS’ performance expectations.”
The company also announced last December that it had acquired a 129,304-square-foot facility on a 30-acre site in Longmont, Colorado, to support its expected growth in manufacturing operations. The facility, which includes approximately 30,000 square feet of office space, will house the company’s engineering, vehicle integration, and headquarters staff, as well as its high-volume motor and electronic manufacturing operations. Approximately 15 acres of the site are available for future facility expansion. “This larger facility is ideally suited for the planned expansion of our high-volume manufacturing operations in support of Coda Automotive’s all-electric passenger vehicle program and future growth arising from the expected launch of additional production programs,” said Rankin.
The facility reportedly had a purchase price of $7,585,000, half of which is expected to be funded from the company’s stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. UQM said in January that it received a $45.1 million cost-shared grant under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) to accelerate the manufacturing and deployment of electric vehicles, batteries, and components in America. Under the grant, the company will be eligible to receive reimbursement of 50 percent of qualifying expenditures for the purchase of facilities, tooling, and manufacturing equipment, and for engineering related to product qualification and testing.
UQM Technologies, Inc. (www.uqm.com) develops and manufactures power-dense, high-efficiency electric motors, generators, and power electronic controllers for the automotive, aerospace, military, and industrial markets. A major emphasis of the company is the development of 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.
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