Azure Dynamics Corp. (Vancouver, BC), a leading developer of hybrid-electric powertrains for commercial vehicles, announced a demonstration agreement with Leyland Product Development (LPD, Lancashire, UK) and Zebra Batteries (Derby, England). Azure and LPD, in cooperation with Zebra Batteries and a leading European truck manufacturer, are developing an electric van for display and demonstration purposes.
Azure will provide an electric powertrain to be retrofitted by LPD. The electric powertrain vehicle will be put on display at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, from March 23 to 25, 2004. The vehicle will potentially be available as either a utility delivery van or a passenger minibus. After the show, LPD in conjunction with the European truck manufacturer will use the vehicle for demonstration and marketing purposes for a period of approximately nine months.
Azure Dynamics President and COO David Deacon said, "We are very pleased with this collaboration with such high-quality partners, as it opens the door to a market we believe is currently underserved. Many cities and airports are looking for zero-emission and low-emission vehicles for application in areas with severe air-quality issues. By doing a retrofit on a current production vehicle, it means a zero-emission product could be available for these potential customers in the near future."
