Axion Power International Inc. announced that they will utilize an Indiana venue to display their PbC battery, and its use in an electric hybrid Class 8 truck developed by ePower Engines. The truck will be powered by a 56 battery array and will be available to a wide variety of drivers and truck fleet owners through a 'Ride and/Drive' program set up at the Indiana Green Fleet Conference on September 23-25 in Elizabeth, IN. Vani Dantam, Axion's Senior Vice President of Business Development, Sales and Marketing will explain the application to the Conference and detail how the hybrid system, incorporating Axion PbC batteries, dramatically increases obtainable 'miles per gallon' in normal heavy duty truck operating environments.

Mr. Dantam will also serve as moderator for the Transportation section of the Conference. The electric hybrid 18-wheelers have been retrofitted, from standard internal combustion engines, to series diesel electric hybrid drive train systems that include a string of 56 PbC batteries by privately held, Florence, KY-based ePower Engine Systems. The PbC batteries have been selected for the 18-wheel Class 8 truck conversions because of their high cycle life; their unique high charge acceptance capability; their ability to discharge and recharge quickly and their inherent self-equalization characteristic that is particularly advantageous to large string applications.