The controller is being developed for the USAF Advanced Power Technology Office of the 542nd Combat Sustainment Wing at Robins Air Force Base in cooperation with the US Army National Automotive Center and Mississippi State University. The USAF expects to field test the controller in the all-electric pickup truck testbeds being built by UQM.

The truck is powered by a UQM 120 kW propulsion system and a lithium-ion battery pack from Valence Technology, Inc. The UQM propulsion motor delivers 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque and has a peak energy efficiency of 96%.

The contract supplement increases the total contract value to $2.83 million and extends the expected completion date to November 30, 2008.

Silicon carbide power modules of the type being developed in this program offer the advantage of substantially higher operating temperatures when compared to traditional silicon modules. This funding supplement will allow us to continue our development of a new generation of motor/generator controllers that use silicon carbide modules and are able to operate in harsher environments. This technology is of significant interest to both military and commercial electric propulsion customers, and we are excited that the Air Force has provided substantial additional funding to move this technology toward commercialization.

—Jon Lutz, UQM Technologies’ Director of Engineering

A major UQM emphasis is developing 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.