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Arotech’s Successful
Demonstration of Ultra-Capacitor / Zinc-Air Hybrid Electric Bus Draws
Press and Dignitaries
Sheldon Silver, NY Assembly Speaker,
says he will encourage use in New York
November 7, 2003 - Arotech Corporation
(NasdaqNM: ARTX) announced today that its zero emission all-electric
bus was successfully demonstrated yesterday in Schenectady and Albany,
NY. The two demonstration drives of the Electric Fuel bus drew extensive
TV coverage, with participation by dozens of reporters and members of
the DOT/FTA appointed Peer Review Committee.
New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon
Silver rode the bus around the Capitol in Albany. Mr. Silver talked
to reporters on the bus, as they drove quietly along Albany’s
streets. At the end of the drive, Mr. Silver said, “I was very
impressed with the Electric Fuel clean air bus we have seen today, and
we encourage such zero emission technology in New York.”
The demonstration and the Peer Review
meeting are among the last tasks of Phase III of the zinc-air all electric
transit bus program with the Federal Transit Administration. Members
of the Peer Review Committee, set up by the DOT/FTA to evaluate the
program, rode the crowded bus in Schenectady.
Phase IV of the FTA cost shared program
will begin next month. It will explore steps necessary for commercializing
the all-electric zinc-air / ultra-capacitor hybrid bus. To that end,
Electric Fuel is working with an undisclosed company on finding alternative
zinc available from existing zinc producing facilities.
About the Electric Fuel Bus
The bus demonstrated yesterday is powered
by the Company's Electric Fuel zinc air fuel cell technology. Coupled
with a pack of advanced ultra capacitors and an improved energy management
system, the hybrid all electric bus has zero tailpipe emissions. An
urban transit fleet based the Electric Fuel bus will not only improve
the quality of the air – it will also help national security by
reducing the dependence on imported fuel.
In a recent test the bus traveled 145
miles under typical city bus driving conditions, including stop and
go, acceleration and constant speed. The average normal full day cycle
for New York City buses is less than 90 miles. The Company believes
that all-electric buses utilizing Electric Fuel's Zinc-Air technology
have sufficient range to offer a practical alternative to diesel-powered
buses.
The Electric Fuel All Electric Transit
Bus is designed to operate as a full-size, zero emission 40-foot bus
having a 20-ton gross vehicle weight (including passengers) and operating
all standard bus features, including air conditioning.
About Arotech Corporation
Arotech's corporate mission is to
provide quality defense and security products for the military, law
enforcement and homeland security markets, including advanced zinc-air
batteries, multimedia interactive simulators/trainers and lightweight
armoring.
Arotech Corporation (www.arotech.com)
operates two business divisions: Electric Fuel Batteries — developing
and manufacturing zinc-air batteries for military and homeland security
applications and developing electric vehicle batteries for zero emission
public transportation; and Arotech Defense — consisting of IES
Interactive, which provides advanced high-tech multimedia training systems
for law enforcement and paramilitary organizations, MDT Armor, which
provides vehicle armoring for the military, industrial and private sectors,
and Arocon Security, which provides homeland security consulting and
other services.
Arotech is incorporated in Delaware
and has corporate and sales offices in New York and Denver with research,
development and production subsidiaries in Alabama, Colorado and Israel.
Except for the historical information
herein, the matters discussed in this news release include forward-looking
statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, as they are subject to various risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary significantly. These
risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks relating
to: product and technology development; the uncertainty of the market
for Arotech’s products; changing economic conditions; delay, cancellation
or non-renewal, in whole or in part, of contracts or of purchase orders;
significant future capital requirements; the outcome of the claims made
by the I.E.S. Group; and other risk factors detailed in Arotech’s
most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2002 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Arotech assumes no obligation to update the information in this release.
Reference to the Company’s website above does not constitute incorporation
of any of the information thereon into this press release.
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