$45 Million Grant Goes To ‘Driving’ Clean Vehicles

Photo: Flickr, Patrick2908

Average: Select ratingPoorOkayGoodGreatAwesome

Your rating: None Average: 4 (3 votes)

More Green Business

• China Scores At The World Cup
• Oil Spill Cleanup Not Clean Enough
• BP Increases Worst Case Scenario Oil Flow Estimate
• BP Searching For Cash
• Oil Bosses Distance Themselves From BP

UQM Technologies Inc., a Colorado company that specializes in electric drive systems in all-electric and hybrid cars, buses, and other vehicles, has been awarded a $45 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through its Vehicle Technologies program, according to an October Recovery Act announcement. UQM strives to reduce dependency on vehicles that use petroleum and estimates that this new grant will help in part to create nearly 3,000 new manufacturing jobs.

Founded in 1967 in Frederick, Colo., the company forms a keystone in the foundation of the current green movement by focusing on the development of high power, high torque, energy efficient electric motors. They also specialize in the production of electric controlling systems for retrofitting older vehicles.

UQM’s products have a leg-up on the conventional gas-powered motors because their smaller, lighter systems allow for a greater concentration of power. This allows for greater efficiency and performance by eliminating gearing and creating more adaptive software control in the engines. UQM utilizes high energy, permanent magnets and hollow rotor in component integration to advance control functions in the engines that allow for field oriented control, full wave, commutation, and phase advance.

UQM credits the increasing shift towards the electrification of vehicles to various government mandates, global warming, and the high cost of fuel due to the United States’ dependence on foreign oil. In fact, every day people in the U.S. consume nearly 20 million barrels of oil, two-thirds of which are used for transportation needs. Furthermore, the traditional engine is inefficient because most of the energy is exerted through heat. UQM’s electric propulsion system is 94 percent efficient when compared to a traditional motor (measured by the amount of electricity put in and the shaft power output). UQM hopes to cut into this usage and draw more from abundant sources of electricity, such as solar, nuclear, and clean coal by widely distributing their more eco-friendly motors.

While some of the company’s customers include Ford Motor Co., The Boeing Co. and Peterbilt Motors Co., UQM’s most recent and significant application of their technologies include a $2.77 million order from the U.S. military to be put towards the development of transport and combat vehicles. The company has also forayed into the development of “off-highway” vehicles such as CAT mining and locomotives and supported John Deere Co.’s ongoing attempts to develop clean technology in their products.

UQM has also been involved in the sale of some of their electrification systems to other motor vehicle manufacturers such as the newly founded Coda Automotive, a California electric vehicle company; UQM has helped significantly in the development of the Coda sedan. UQM has also contributed greatly to the implementation of a hybrid electric fleet of busses in the Denver area, as well as to the attempts of Proterra LLC and Fisher Coachworks LLC to produce fast-charging, electric/plug-in hybrid electric transit busses.

UQM is one of the oldest clean technology developers and stands as a pillar of strength as the world moves toward green alternatives. With transportation being one of the largest sectors in green growth, UQM’s various technologies will surely serve to promote better innovations in the clean, green, fuel efficient market.