UQM Technologies Announces Strategic Alliance with Meritor to Jointly Develop Full Electric Axle Systems (E-Axles) Targeting the Medium and Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicle Market
Business WireFebruary 2, 2017
LONGMONT, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
UQM Technologies, Inc. (NYSE MKT: UQM) announced today the signing of a development agreement with Meritor, Inc., located in Troy, Michigan. The development program is expected to last for two-and-one-half years. The alliance calls for Meritor to develop integrated axle components for E-axle technology. The components will be combined with UQM’s motor and inverter technology and hardware to create the Meritor and UQM Electric Axle System (“MUQM Electric Axles”) for the medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicle markets.
The benefits of the system are expected to allow customers in the medium and heavy-duty EV commercial markets to improve on component packaging requirements, realize cost savings from integration, and increased vehicle performance. “We are excited to align ourselves with Meritor to address the commercial market from a new vantage point. This allows UQM to focus on design and development and in turn approach the market as a Tier 2 supplier with a proven Tier 1 OEM,” said Joe Mitchell, President and CEO of UQM. “We believe this relationship gives Meritor the opportunity to become a leading supplier of E-axles using UQM’s technology allowing customers to benefit from integrated solutions that drive cost savings in the long term.”
“We are pleased to engage with UQM on this important project,” said John Bennett, Meritor’s General Manager of Global Product Strategy. “We believe that this relationship will provide leading edge technology that will meet and exceed our customers’ expectations for E-axle solutions.”
The companies anticipate that prototypes will be ready by early fall of 2017.
About UQM
UQM Technologies is a developer and manufacturer of power-dense, high-efficiency electric motors, generators, power electronic controllers and fuel cell compressors for the commercial truck, bus, automotive, marine, military and industrial markets. A major emphasis for UQM is developing propulsion systems for electric, hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell electric vehicles. UQM is TS 16949 and ISO 14001 certified and located in Longmont, Colorado. For more information, please visit www.uqm.com.
About Meritor
Meritor, Inc. is a leading global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets. With more than a 100-year legacy of providing innovative products that offer superior performance, efficiency and reliability, the company serves commercial truck, trailer, off-highway, defense, specialty and aftermarket customers around the world. Meritor is based in Troy, Mich., United States, and is made up of approximately 8,000 diverse employees who apply their knowledge and skills in manufacturing facilities, engineering centers, joint ventures, distribution centers and global offices in 18 countries. Meritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MTOR.
