PowerGenix Targets HEV Market With More Powerful NiZn Battery

Business Wire,  May 12, 2008  

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Smaller, Lighter NiZn Rechargeable Battery Offers Power and Mileage Advantages for Automotive Applications

TAMPA, Fla. -- PowerGenix, manufacturer of safe, non-toxic, rechargeable nickel-zinc (NiZn) batteries, announced it will unveil its rechargeable D-Cell battery pack for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) this week at the Advanced Automotive Battery and Ultracapacitor Conference in Tampa, Florida. PowerGenix's NiZn battery pack is capable of delivering thirty percent more power and increased energy-density, as well as reduced size, weight and cost relative to existing Nickel Metal-Hydride (NiMH) technologies.

The Nickel-Zinc powered HEV, a retrofitted Toyota Prius, features PowerGenix's battery pack installed alongside the original NiMH pack to showcase the size and weight savings of PowerGenix's technology. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to view the industry's first NiZn powered HEV by visiting PowerGenix in booth #7.

Compared with traditional NiMH battery technology, PowerGenix's NiZn battery packs can offer a number of performance advantages, including:

* Thirty percent size and weight reductions;

* Thirty percent improvement in miles per gallon;

* Completely safe, nontoxic and non-combustible battery cells and packs;

* The highest level of recyclable constituent parts of any rechargeable battery chemistry.

Bypassing the expensive safety power control systems and manufacturing processes required for lithium-ion technologies, NiZn can be easily integrated into existing hybrid vehicle designs at about one-half the cost per watt-hour of a lithium-ion battery. Additionally, PowerGenix's NiZn chemistry has been specifically engineered to take advantage of the current alkaline battery supply chain and is able to be manufactured on existing NiCd and NiMH production lines.

"Safety, performance and cost are crucial components of battery technology for the vehicle market and NiZn is the only mainstream chemistry that is one-hundred percent safe and able to fulfill HEV's demanding power and durability requirements while offering a cost advantage," said Dan Squiller, CEO of PowerGenix. "Integrating our D-Cell battery pack as a drop in solution for today's hybrid vehicles demonstrates the viability and benefits of NiZn rechargeable technology for HEV applications."

About PowerGenix

PowerGenix has developed and patented a high-energy density, high-cycle life and low-cost Nickel-Zinc battery targeting the market for energy intensive electronics and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Specifically designed to utilize existing Nickel-Cadmium manufacturing processes, techniques and equipment, PowerGenix offers the supply chain scaling and security OEMs require. With its patented rechargeable Nickel-Zinc battery technology, PowerGenix is pursuing applications to replace existing Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel Metal Hydride batteries in the multi-billion dollar rechargeable battery market.

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