Dow Kokam, Motiv Power Systems Partner for Fully Electric Shuttle Bus in San Francisco Region

Midland, MI — March 7, 2011

Dow Kokam to Provide Advanced Battery Solutions for Class 4 Diesel-to-Electric Conversion, Expected to Save 40,000 Gallons of Diesel Fuel Over Eight Year Lifetime

Dow Kokam, a leading large-format battery system producer, announced today a new supply agreement with Motiv Power Systems, an electric drive power control system provider, to develop advanced lithium-ion battery systems to convert a Class 4, Ford E-450 diesel chassis to a completely electric system for a passenger shuttle bus. Funded in part by the California Energy Commission, the 20-passenger, fully electric shuttle bus will have a 100 mile range and will operate daily in the San Francisco region. Over eight years, the electric bus is expected to save 40,000 gallons of diesel fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 435 tons.

“Dow Kokam’s proven advanced battery technology provides the best thermal management available, which greatly enhances the lifetime of the battery system and makes electrification a true long-term investment for vehicle operators,” said Jim Castelaz, CEO of Motiv. “This project further demonstrates our ability to provide plug-and-play conversion capabilities to fleets, enabling the use of familiar vehicle frames and providing real solutions for fleet operators to achieve the full benefits of electrification.”

Dow Kokam is providing large-format cells, packs and technical experience to Motiv, who has developed a universal powertrain platform to convert medium-duty commercial vehicles. The shuttle bus will be operated by Bauer Transportation to provide daily service for the San Francisco region, including the Google and Facebook headquarters in the high-tech corridor of the Silicon Valley. The vehicle is projected to operate for at least 8 years, and will begin its deployment in August.

“Beyond the environmental benefits, electrification provides significant advantages to commercial vehicle and fleet operators in terms of cost, mission fulfillment, reliability and longevity. Owners and operators are looking for accessible solutions that can realize these advantages and maximize their investment,” said Chuck Reardon, vice president of Dow Kokam. “We are pleased that Motiv selected Dow Kokam’s proven cell technology to create a high-performance, fully electric conversion solution for the popular E-450 chassis. We think Motiv’s technology is opening up a new market of opportunities for a wide range of applications.”

Dow Kokam’s large format batteries bring the reliability of more than 10 years of proven performance in demanding applications with system integration capabilities that have been proven in more than 1 million kilometers of rigorous, on-the-road testing. Dow Kokam technology has been adopted as the primary source of energy for high performance equipment in industries ranging from transportation, marine, aerospace, defense and high-end industrial products.

Motiv’s system enables truck builders to easily integrate electric-drive powertrain options into the commercial vehicles they build today. The components are delivered to the builder ready to install, with no electrical design expertise required. With Motiv’s system, these electric-drive trucks provide clear benefits in operating costs, maintenance, configurability, and emissions reductions.

About Motiv Power Systems
Motiv is revolutionizing the way electric drive fleet vehicles will be built. Rather than requiring custom designed powertrain solutions for every new EV design, Motiv has developed a common platform that allows disparate components, developed by multiple vendors, to interoperate. Instead of trying to fit the current EV design paradigm into the truck and bus market, Motiv’s technology leverages the natural characteristics of this market, which relies on sourcing standard “off the shelf” components, to promote widespread EV adoption.

About Dow Kokam
Dow Kokam brings technologically advanced and economically viable battery solutions to the transportation, defense, industrial and medical industries. Uniting Dow, Kokam America and Dassault SVE creates the first battery and energy management systems manufacturer to combine viable, scalable large-format battery technology with the market franchise, manufacturing expertise and market knowledge necessary to become the clear partner of choice across industries.

Dow Kokam was established in 2009 to develop and manufacture advanced energy storage technologies for the transportation and other industries. The company is owned by The Dow Chemical Company, TK Advanced Battery LLC and Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault.