FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When will the Modec be available in the USA?

Modec launched into production in the UK in March 2007 and has already sold over 100 vehicles.

Sales in the Netherlands and Germany has already begun.

Sales in the USA are anticipated to begin in Q3 2009.

How much does a Modec vehicle cost?

We are still working on our North American pricing.

Why do Modec lease the battery?

Batteries are provided on a rental basis for many reasons: Firstly, to guarantee peace of mind for our customers. By leasing the battery, Modec maintain responsibility for the battery throughout and at the end of its life. Whilst we know a lot about battery technology, we don't expect our customers to be experts. For this reason we offer to replace the battery when necessary and ensure it is recycled correctly at the end of its life.

In addition, you can protect yourself from rising diesel prices by having a consistent monthly battery rental charge.

What models are in the current range?

• Bare chassis cab
• Flatbed(Drop side)
• Box Van

These models will also be available with an extended (crew) cab from September 2007.

How big is the box?

12 m3 is the standard box van. Box dimensions can be adapted according to customer requirements. The only consideration for vehicles over a certain length would be to add running lights.

What's the GVW?

5.5 tonnes (i.e. 3.5 tonnes curbside weight + 2 tonnes payload)

How long/how wide/how high is a standard vehicle?

• 2m wide (2.25 with the mirrors)
• 6m long
• 2.6m high (cab height only, body may vary)

What battery packs are available?

Sodium Nickel Chloride ("Zebra") packs are used (which have 85kWh). This new technology delivers a fantastic range of 100 miles from a single overnight charge.

Modec are already looking to enhance the technology further by using Lithium phosphate batteries in future models.

Note that the range you get from a battery pack varies with duty cycle in the opposite way to a conventional diesel vehicle, i.e. you get better mileage when the vehicles is stopping and starting as opposed to at sustained high speed.

What other variants do you plan?

An extended cab version of Modec will be available from September 2007. The extended, or crew, cab is designed to accommodate the driver + 4 passengers. A long wheelbase version and a rear extension for the chassis rails are also in the pipeline, to accommodate larger boxes and heavier payloads.

We are happy to tailor vehicles to customers' needs, so if you have a particular requirement, we would be pleased to discuss it.

2008 will see the launch of Modec's 10-12 seater minibus, currently in development.

For more information please contact our Sales administrator, Lyndsay Ritchie: lritchie@modec.co.uk.

How well does Modec perform?

Modec have two battery packs to choose from:

THE INTRA CITY PACK:

• Over 100 mile range
• At 50mph
• Carrying a 2 tonne payload

THE INNER CITY PACK:

• Over 60 mile range
• At 50mph
• Carrying 2 tonne payload

...all on a single overnight charge!

Range:

Modec range is determined by the battery pack and duty cycle. By harnessing the latest battery technology the Modec intra city pack will cover over 100 miles and the inner city pack will cover over 60 miles. all on a single overnight charge. What's more, unlike a conventional diesel vehicle, you get better mileage during stop-start urban usage. "Regenerative braking" puts energy back into the battery whenever the vehicle slows down and no energy is drawn when the vehicle is stationary.

Speed:

Modec is governed at a maximum speed of 50mph. Although the vehicle is capable of more, it is designed for urban use so the energy saved by limiting the top speed can be used to enhance the performance and range of the vehicle.

0-60mph:

The great thing about electric motors is that they deliver their peak torque at low speeds. Modec will achieve 0-30 in a respectable 11 seconds, and is governed at a maximum speed of 50mph. Our motor delivers 300Nm torque, so it has no problems at all keeping up with traffic.

Payload:

2 tonnes

For more information please contact our Sales administrator, Lyndsay Ritchie: lritchie@modec.co.uk.

Who has ordered a Modec vehicle?

Modec launched into production in March 2007 and had already sold most of this year's vehicles. Depending on specification and volume, orders placed before November 2007 will be delivered in January 2008. Standard lead times will reduce to 8-12 weeks (depending on specification) when we have cleared the waiting list and production is at full capacity.

For more information please contact our sales administrator, Lyndsay Ritchie on lritchie@modec.co.uk

When can I get a Modec vehicle?

Our first customer:

Tesco.com, Britain's biggest internet grocery retailer, ordered 15 vans for their home delivery network. This first batch of Modec vehicles to join the Tesco fleet were be deployed at Tesco’s new environmental store in Shrewsbury. Following the success of this pilot scheme Modec vehicles will now be deployed at Tesco stores in London. We are in talks with other leading supermarket chains who are keen to follow Tesco's lead.

Customers from other sectors:

Amey and Accord MP (both contractors for Transport for London) are using Modec vehicles for a range of highways maintenance operations.

Speedy Hire, the equipment hire specialists have their first four drop side vehicles with tail lifts in service around London.

Hildon Water are now delivering zero emission water around London

Islington Borough Council was the first Local Authority to join the Modec revolution

Watch this list grow in 2008...

Amey Infrastructure and AccordMP won contracts with Transport for London (TfL) to look after the roads in boroughs across London. Look out for the eye catching vehicles... you won't hear them coming but they will certainly turn heads when they pass by!

A number of other household names, such as Center Parcs are looking forward to taking delivery of Modec vehicles for their fleet.

We have a test and demonstration programme running for a number of other high profile, forward-thinking companies. We don't intend to formally announce who our lead customers are until production vehicles are released into service. This means that when you hear about a Modec vehicle and a household company name, you know the vehicle has been tested, bought and is in service - not just on trial.

For more information please contact our sales administrator, Lyndsay Ritchie on lritchie@modec.co.uk

What sets Modec apart?

Why will you succeed where EVs have not succeeded in the past?

Our approach is different: Our priority is to build a sound commercial vehicle. Our benefit is that it happens to be environmentally friendly. Other EVs have focused on the environmental benefits and thus have not lived up to the standard expected by commercial vehicle users.

We are able to store 3-5 times more energy as a conventional electric vehicle, deliver it with an efficient drive train and re capture a portion that would otherwise be lost through regenerative braking. All of which means that we have avoided many of the performance limitations that have traditionally held back the performance of EVs.

Diesels are no longer simple and cheap. In addition they are now weighed down by all sorts of cost and complex requirements aimed at combating their harmful emissions. The regulations being imposed to protect the health of population are continuing to tighten.

Why has no one else done this?

The start up costs and technical knowledge required to design and build such a vehicle from scratch are massive. Other companies have adapted conventionally powered vehicles but the results have shown poor performance - you need to design the vehicle around the battery pack to optimize the potential performance.

We spotted that modern battery technologies - Zebra and Li-ion - were becoming widely available and that, by harnessing this technology, we could avoid most of the limitations traditionally associated with electric vehicles.

Modec's mission is to build an exceptional commercial vehicle that happens to be environmentally friendly, not the other way round. An impressive pool of mainstream automotive engineering skill has enabled the Modec team to build a zero emission vehicle that is suitable for mainstream users. This is what sets Modec apart.

For more information please contact us on: info@modec.co.uk.

Company background

Who are Modec?

Modec Limited is a new private company, founded by Jamie Borwick in 2004 to take this concept through to production. The forward-thinking ex-Chairman of Manganese Bronze was closely followed by the exceptional team of engineers who worked with him to design the iconic London Taxi.

Jamie is also Deputy Chairman of the British Lung Foundation, hence the drive to combat the damage done by diesel exhausts.

The Modec team are an exceptionally dedicated and dynamic bunch, reflecting how exciting it is to work for a company set to revolutionize the automotive industry. Since January 2006 our head count has doubled roughly every 3 months.

What did the core Modec team do before this?

Modec is a new company, boasting a team with a wealth of successful experience in mainstream automotive engineering. With skills transferred from automotive giants such as Toyota and Ford, the pool of knowledge is impressive for any company, let alone one that started two years ago.

Can I buy shares in Modec?

Sorry, Modec is a private company so no shares are on the Stock Market.

What does your logo stand for?

It's meant to represent the world, reflecting the natural balance of ying and yang, with a hint of precision rotor blades.

The logo also bears a resemblance to the internationally recognised symbol for recycling.

Or it might just be a nice shape. You decide.

What does "Modec" mean?

It's meant to hint at modern, electric and civic.

For more information please contact us on: info@modec.co.uk.

What alternatives are out there?

Isn't the future fuel cells?

Fuel cells are similar to batteries that are recharged by adding hydrogen, rather than plugging them into the mains. As such they create zero local air pollution and we're actively evaluating their potential. However, they have 3 main drawbacks, which we think will take some years to overcome:

Drawback 1: Where do you get your hydrogen from? The short answer is you have to make it. Hydrogen is a way of storing energy, not a source in itself. If you make it from electricity, you store about 60% of the energy you put in.

Drawback 2: Efficiency. When you put hydrogen into a fuel cell, only about 40% of the energy input is returned. A charged battery, however, will release virtually all of the stored energy. Added to this, the energy expelled in the process of making, storing and transporting the hydrogen fuelled energy, mean this option extremely inefficient by comparison.

Drawback 3: Cost and infrastructure. Although the cost of fuel cells is falling, when you work out the cost per mile, there's a long way to go before fuel cell vehicles could compete with battery electrics. In addition the infrastructure to store and transport the hydrogen isn't in place and it's hard and probably won't be for a good long while.

Isn’t everyone moving to hybrids?

Hybrids have a part to play in improving fuel economy compared to conventional vehicles, but they too, have 3 major drawbacks;

Drawback 1: Hybrid vehicles are as complex to service, as conventional vehicles (comprising approximately 300 moving parts). Whereas Modec, by virtue of the fact it is run on pure electric, has minimal servicing requirements (our drivetrain comprises minimal moving parts).

Drawback 2: Hybrids have both a mechanical and electric drivetrain, but all the energy they use comes from the fuel that you pump into the tank, so you're still dependent on fossil fuels to power your vehicle. It's much easier to power a pure electric vehicle like ours from zero carbon, renewable energy sources.

Drawback 3: Due to the fact you are generating power by burning petrol or diesel in your hybrid, exhaust gases are still being generated, including harmful particles and Nitrogen Oxides. A pure electric vehicle like ours, however, doesn't produce any local air pollution. Take a look - no exhaust pipe!

For more information please contact us on: info@modec.co.uk.

Do Modec exist abroad?

Modec in the us:

Two Modec vehicles are currently in America on a market research mission. We are working with US-based colleagues to thoroughly understand the market and how Modec could meet the needs of LCV operators in the US. Initial feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Our next trade show will be EVS23 in Anaheim, California from 3rd - 5th December 2007. Here we will have a static display and two vehicles on ride & drive. Please visit www.EVS23.org to find out more about this event.

For more information please contact William Doelle who is in charge of Modec in the US: info@modeczev.com

Modec in the netherlands:

Our first European dealer has been appointed. Again, we were delighted with the response from those who saw the vehicle when we were in the European market research phase and sales enquiries have been increasing daily ever since.

You can see Modec at The European Road Transport Show 2007 in Amsterdam from 26th October to 3rd November. Here we will display the Modec box van that was recently used for a number of high profile trials in the Netherlands (more details coming soon...)

For more information please contact Michael Mica who is in charge of Modec in the Netherlands: info@modecnetherlands.com

P.S. Coming soon: www.modecZEV.com will be our international website. This will be live by the end of November and will have pages dedicated to Modec's international activities.

Can I come and work for Modec?

the modec team is expanding rapidly

We have a fantastic team of over 80 forward thinking individuals who make Modec happen. Modec is a truly brilliant place to work: we have an oustanding product, the vibrance of a young company and the expertise of inspirational industry experts.

If you would like to join us please send your CV and a covering letter to: careers@modec.co.uk