PosiCharge Wins Automotive News PACE Award for Superior Innovation and Collaborator Award for Work with Ford Motor Company
DETROIT and MONROVIA, Calif., April 5, 2006 - PosiCharge(TM), an AeroVironment, Inc. business (www.avinc.com), has won two awards at the 2006 Automotive News PACE Awards. The 12th Annual PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contribution to Excellence) Awards held in Detroit, Mich. April 3 honored innovators in the automotive supply chain.
Automotive News recognized PosiCharge with the PACE Award in the Manufacturing Process and Capital Equipment category for its intelligent fast charge systems. PosiCharge systems allow users to eliminate their battery rooms by rapidly charging each battery in the vehicle during scheduled breaks, so the battery never leaves the vehicle. Without battery changing, operations are cleaner, safer, and streamlined for maximum productivity.
In addition, the company was a joint recipient of the PACE Innovative OEM Collaborator Award, along with its longtime customer Ford Motor Company. The Collaborator Award recognizes a person or team at an OEM who does an exceptional job of partnering with a supplier to develop an effective manufacturing innovation. Ford recently launched an enterprise-wide program to convert all material handling operations to electric vehicles powered by PosiCharge technology. Aside from providing Ford with charge systems for a wide range of vehicle types, PosiCharge also supplied the automaker with a next-generation data management system.
"These prestigious awards reflect PosiCharge's commitment to innovation and to providing our customers substantial operational improvement with our technologies,"
said Pat Dellario, vice president and general manager, PosiCharge. "We are honored to be recognized alongside an industry leader like Ford Motor Company, for our joint
efforts to incorporate new technologies that improve plant performance and employee safety."
Recognizing superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance, the Automotive News PACE Award, presented by Automotive News, Microsoft, SAP and Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.), is open to suppliers that contribute products, processes, materials or services directly to the manufacture of cars or trucks. The award is accepted around the world as the industry symbol of innovation. Finalists undergo an extensive review process - including a site visit - by industry, academic and business leaders to select award winners. For complete details of the 2006 Automotive News PACE Award, including a listing and profile on PosiCharge, visit automotivenews.com/pace.
About PosiCharge
PosiCharge fast charge systems allow users to eliminate the battery room and its associated challenges, thereby recovering run time, enhancing productivity, optimizing assets, and improving worker safety. PosiCharge fast charges each battery in the vehicle during scheduled breaks, so the battery never leaves the vehicle. The result is instant productivity improvement, a cleaner work environment, and a streamlined workflow that no longer stops for battery changing. With a proprietary system that safeguards batteries by customizing each charge, PosiCharge can actually extend a battery's useful life, further optimizing operations. PosiCharge has been supporting high-velocity Fortune and Global 500 facilities for more than six years. PosiCharge is an AeroVironment, Inc. business. More information can be found at www.posicharge.com.
About AeroVironment, Inc.
AeroVironment (AV) uses emerging technologies to provide its customers with entirely new solutions that increase their competitive effectiveness by enabling them to overcome limitations on productivity, safety and efficiency. AV is the world's largest supplier of SUAV systems and electric vehicle fast charge systems. Raven, Dragon Eye, Pointer, Swift, Puma, and Wasp SUAV systems are used extensively by the Department of Defense and increasingly by other U.S. government agencies and allied military forces. PosiCharge fast charge systems have eliminated battery changing for electric material handling vehicle fleets in factories, airports and distribution centers throughout North America. AV is headquartered in Monrovia, California: www.avinc.com, www.avsuav.com.
Contact:
Lisa Horiuchi Heiberg
Director, Marketing and Venture Development
PosiCharge, a Business of AeroVironment
626.357.9983 x563 (p)
626.357.9729 (f)
heiberg@avinc.com
