ADA Technologies, Inc. has been awarded a $70,000 contract from the U.S. Army to begin Phase 1 of the development of an electrochemical ultracapacitor for use in hybrid military vehicles. ADA’s developmental work will be performed with assistance from Maxwell Technologies, the company behind the commercially-available line of Boostcap ultracapacitors.
Douglas Campbell, ADA’s research and development program manager, outlined the developmental goals of the U.S. Army-funded project, stating:
We expect the successful completion of this Phase I research to lead to development of ultracapacitors with the energy and power densities needed for military applications. In addition, these ultracapacitors will have safe operation over a wide temperature range and excellent cycle life, making them unique in the market.
It’s hard to imagine that the Humvee, the vehicular backbone of the U.S. military, could some day be outfitted with electrochemical ultracapacitors and a diesel-electric powertrain… but who knows?
[Source: Green Car Congress | Image: Jeshua.nace – C.C. License 2.0]
