Press releases

ISE-ThunderVolt Wins WestStart-CALSTART Blue Sky Award

SAN DIEGO, CA, November 11, 2002 — ISE-ThunderVolt (ISE) announced today that it has been awarded the seventh annual Blue Sky Award by WestStart-CALSTART. The Blue Sky Award is an international award bestowed annually by the advanced transportation technologies consortium, WestStart, and its California operating division, CALSTART, to recognize outstanding contributions to development and commercialization of clean vehicles and technologies. The Blue Sky Award Judging Committee is made up of representatives from the Coalition for Clean Air, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Union of Concerned Scientists, American Lung Association, and members of WestStart's staff.

ISE was recognized "For being a company that has done so much with so little in driving the industry forward to clean the air and develop sustainable transportation." In an award ceremony held in conjunction with WestStart-CALSTART's Advanced Transportation Industry Conference in Los Angeles on 7 November 2002, ISE was praised for being involved in "just about every new technology" related to clean transportation. Recent ISE successes cited at the conference include the Company's development of the nation's first gasoline hybrid transit bus, the nation's first propane hybrid transit bus, and the only fuel cell bus presently operating in revenue service in the United States.

The six past winners of the Blue Sky Award are Pickens Fuel Corporation (2001); Ed Huestis, Fleet Manager, City of Vacaville (2000); Ford Motor Company (1999); the United States Postal Service (1998); Toyota (1997); and General Motors (1996).
"ISE-ThunderVolt is proud to join the company of the other prestigious recipients of the Blue Sky Award," stated Michael Simon, Chairman of ISE. "It is extremely gratifying to have WestStart and so many distinguished environmental groups recognize the environmental benefits and economic business potential of ISE's work," added Simon.

In addition to the gasoline, propane, and fuel cell hybrid buses ISE has developed for use in California, the company is developing two diesel hybrid bus models for New Jersey Transit, and is actively marketing its bus drive system technologies to New York, Chicago, and other transit agencies across the U.S. ISE's long term plans also involve converting a large percentage of the nation's trucks to run on hybrid-electric power, and the Company is pursuing international business opportunities as well.

ISE -ThunderVolt, based in San Diego, is a privately-held firm specializing in development of technologies and products for electric, hybrid-electric, and fuel cell vehicles, with a focus on heavy duty vehicles such as buses, trucks, and tractors. For more information on ISE Research-ThunderVolt and its high-performance, environmentally friendly vehicle products, please contact Mr. Tom Bartley, Director of Marketing at phone/fax (619) 287-8785/8795 or visit the company's Web site at www.isecorp.com.