Alcoa AFL Automotive and Maxwell Technologies Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Develop Cold Start System for Commercial Vehicles; Ultracapacitors' Burst Power Capabilities Improve Starting Performance, Extend Battery Life.DETROIT & SAN DIEGO San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. -- Alcoa AFL AFL: see American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. Automotive and Maxwell Technologies Maxwell Technologies is a developer and manufacturer of energy storage and power delivery-related products. History The company was founded in 1965 as Maxwell Laboratories, originally as a government contractor, providing advanced physics, pulsed power, space effects announced today that they have signed a memorandum of understanding A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a legal document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action and may not imply a legal commitment. to collaborate on the development of a cold start system for the commercial transportation market. The companies will incorporate Maxwell's BOOSTCAP(R) ultracapacitors with AFL's power management system to develop an efficient engine starting system. "This phase will focus on the meshing of Alcoa's and Maxwell's technologies to produce the cold start system, with a goal of producing a system ready for testing and evaluation by truck OEMs by the end of the first quarter 2007," said Allen Zwierzchowski, President, Worldwide Components AFL Automotive. "AFL and Maxwell have been interacting technically for some time, and we have identified cold starting for commercial trucks as a significant market opportunity that the companies have agreed to address through a formal collaboration," said. Dr. Richard Balanson, Maxwell's president and chief executive officer. "AFL is a highly respected Tier 1 supplier to the automotive and commercial vehicle industries. Their electronic systems design expertise, manufacturing resources and strong worldwide contacts with auto and truck OEMs complement Maxwell's capabilities as a leading provider of energy storage and power delivery solutions," Balanson continued. Helps save fuel and emissions; reduces costs to fleet owners Increasing environmental regulations preclude pre·clude tr.v. pre·clud·ed, pre·clud·ing, pre·cludes 1. To make impossible, as by action taken in advance; prevent. See Synonyms at prevent. 2. the ability of operators to allow their trucks to run all night. More than 20 states have enacted or are proposing regulations that prohibit running diesel truck engines overnight to power so-called "hotel loads" - heating, cooling, entertainment and other driver comfort feature. Running those loads on battery power all night can leave the batteries with insufficient power to start the vehicle in the morning, especially in cold weather. "With the AFL-Maxwell cold starting system, the ultracapacitor pack would provide what amounts to an on-board On board usually means to be traveling on some vehicle. For example, Baby On Board. Compare with overboard. Metaphorically, the term on-board is often used to refer to some piece of technology that is integrated in a moving vehicle, for example: "In addition, fleet owners incur significant costs due to vehicle downtime The time during which a computer is not functioning due to hardware, operating system or application program failure. and jump-starting stranded trucks. Incorporating ultracapacitors to relieve batteries of demanding short-duration, high-current loads, such as cold starting, will improve overall system performance and reliability, extend battery life, and reduce battery maintenance and replacement costs," Zwierzchowski said. About AFL Automotive AFL Automotive, an Alcoa business, is a world leader in the design, development and production of high quality electrical and electronic distribution systems for personal and commercial vehicles, working with vehicle manufacturers and their sub-suppliers in the major automotive centers in China, Japan, Asia, Europe and the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . AFL Automotive has more than 60 locations in 11 countries and 35,000 associates around the world focused on its customers. To learn more about AFL Automotive visit www.alcoa.com About Maxwell Technologies Maxwell is a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative, cost-effective energy storage and power delivery solutions. Our BOOSTCAP(R) ultracapacitor cells and multi-cell modules and POWERCACHE(R) backup power An additional power source that can be used in the event of power failure. See UPS and backup.  A Half Minute of Backup This roomful of lead acid batteries stands ready to drain itself entirely in less than a minute. systems provide safe and reliable power solutions for applications in consumer and industrial electronics, transportation and telecommunications. Our CONDIS(R) high-voltage grading and coupling capacitors help to ensure the safety and reliability of electric utility infrastructure and other applications involving transport, distribution and measurement of high-voltage electrical energy. Our radiation-mitigated microelectronic products include power modules, memory modules and single board computers that incorporate powerful commercial silicon for superior performance and high reliability in aerospace applications. For more information, please visit our website: www.maxwell.com About Alcoa Alcoa (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :AA) is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated fab·ri·cate tr.v. fab·ri·cat·ed, fab·ri·cat·ing, fab·ri·cates 1. To make; create. 2. To construct by combining or assembling diverse, typically standardized parts: aluminum and alumina alumina (əl  `mĭnə) or aluminum oxide, Al2O3, chemical compound with m.p. about 2,000°C; and sp. gr. about 4.0. facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap(R) foils and plastic wraps, Alcoa(R) wheels, and Baco(R) household wraps. Among its other businesses are closures, fastening systems, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 129,000 employees in 44 countries and has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com
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