According to AeroVironment, every large US hub, and many smaller airports, are now operating at least one of the company’s systems.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) announced this week that it has won a contract valued at $8.8 million to supply its PosiCharge fast-charge systems to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which will use them to charge its fleet of electric Ground Support Equipment.

Ground Support Equipment (GSE) – the funny little vehicles that scuttle around on runways, losing your luggage and pushing jumbo jets into position – are steadily going electric. According to AeroVironment, every large US hub, and many smaller airports, are now operating at least one of the company’s systems. Major airports from O’Hare to JFK have already replaced thousands of fossil-fueled GSE vehicles with cleaner, more efficient EVs.

“This project will be a tremendous step toward our Century Agenda goal to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent from 2005 levels,” said Elizabeth Leavitt, Sea-Tac’s planning and environmental programs director. “We will continue to strive to meet our broader air emission reduction goals.”

“The Port of Seattle’s management has made an important commitment to the environment and to the productivity of airlines operating at Seattle Tacoma International by investing in common use fast charge infrastructure,” said AeroVironment senior VP Wahid Nawabi. “Our proven technology helps our customers easily switch to clean, electric vehicles while increasing their productivity. This is the core of our EV infrastructure value proposition – to enable an easy, clean transportation future with real world reliability.”

AeroVironment parlayed its early work on GM’s ill-fated EV1 into a more lucrative niche in commercial vehicles. The company says its charging infrastructure is used by over 2,500 airport GSE vehicles and 10,000 electric materials handling vehicles in factories and distribution centers.

Source: AeroVironment, Inc.
Image: Courtesy AeroVironment, Inc.