Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of rechargeable Polymer-Lithium-Ion (PLI) batteries, today announced that it has signed a letter of intent with ECr Technologies, Inc. of San Jose to jointly develop an all-electric bus.

Their joint venture will focus on maximizing the number of parts specifically designed for electric buses so that the bus will be more competitive with alternative drive systems, such as traditional buses or hybrids. ABAT will supply the batteries, including the battery management and charging systems.

ECr Technologies, Inc. is led by three major scientists, each of whom has more than 30 years of experience in the development of electric vehicles, including battery-driven, electric buses. Its chief scientist, Mr. Samuel Romano, founded Georgetown University's Advanced Vehicle Development program. As Principal Investigator, Mr. Romano directs the U.S. Department of Transportation program addressing the development of fuel cells in the U.S. transportation industry. Mr. Romano also managed the Lunar Roving Program which produced the three electric vehicles used by Apollo 15, 16, and 17 astronauts for exploring extended areas of the moon.

ABAT began development work on electric buses in 2003. "We're excited about our new working relationship with ECr Technologies and expect that our work with ECr Technologies will accelerate the development of electric buses using our PLI battery for use in China and worldwide," commented Mr. Zhiguo Fu, Chairman of ABAT.