PosiCharge, an AeroVironment Inc. business, won two awards this week at the 2006 Automotive News PACE Awards. The 12th annual PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence) Awards held in Detroit on Monday, April 3 honored innovators in the automotive supply chain.
Automotive News recognized PosiCharge with the PACE Award in the manufacturing process and capital equipment category for its intelligent fast charge systems. PosiCharge systems are designed to allow users to eliminate their battery rooms by rapidly charging each battery in the vehicle during scheduled breaks, so the battery never leaves the vehicle.
In addition, the company was a joint recipient of the PACE Innovative OEM Collaborator Award, along with its longtime customer, Ford Motor Co. The Collaborator Award recognizes a person or team at an OEM who does an exceptional job of partnering with a supplier to develop an effective manufacturing innovation. Ford recently launched an enterprise-wide program to convert all material-handling operations to electric vehicles powered by PosiCharge technology. Aside from providing Ford with charge systems for a wide range of vehicle types, PosiCharge also supplied the automaker with a next-generation data management system.
“These prestigious awards reflect PosiCharge’s commitment to innovation and to providing our customers substantial operational improvement with our technologies,” says Pat Dellario, vice president and general manager of PosiCharge. “We are honored to be recognized alongside an industry leader like Ford Motor Company for our joint efforts to incorporate new technologies that improve plant performance and employee safety.”
The Automotive News PACE Award — presented by Automotive News, Microsoft, SAP and Transportation Research Center — is open to suppliers that contribute products, processes, materials or services directly to the manufacture of cars or trucks.
