News

Amberjac Launches Retrofit Plug-In Hybrid Powertrain System

June 13, 2005 by Jeff Shepard

Amberjac Projects Ltd. (UK) announced, in conjunction with US partners Energy Control Systems Engineering (EnergyCS) and EDrive Systems LLC (Los Angeles, CA), a consortium of advanced vehicle technology companies, the launch of a "plug-in" conversion system for hybrid cars in Europe. The system incorporates Valence Technology Inc.’s Saphion lithium-ion battery pack.

Amberjac Projects is in the process of acquiring exclusive European rights from Edrive Systems and EnergyCS to offer integrated conversions and licensing of the Edrive Systems "plug-in" concept to integrators and OEM manufacturers. The first vehicle to be converted by Amberjac Projects will be a Toyota Prius, which will be available for demonstrations or press events at the end of July 2005, with a vehicle conversion planned to be commercially available in early 2006. Early adopters are being sought for initial development vehicles, at higher initial cost, to assist with Amberjac Projects’ data generation program, or for extended fleet trials.

Amberjac plans to offer plug-in upgrades for other hybrid vehicles as they become available from manufacturers, such as the new Lexus RX400h hybrid, GS450h hybrid and the European version of the Ford Escape hybrid. Manufacturers are invited to discuss the possibilities of integrating the plug-in concept in new vehicle development programs with the 4x4 (SUV) and large/medium vehicle markets of particular focus.