Saft selected by Con Edison to support DOE

New Saft battery approved for Bombardier Q400:
nine times the flight maintenance interval
ULM battery offers drop-in replacement and lowers costs for WestJet Encore
Jacksonville, Florida, May 5th, 2015 — Saft, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of
advanced technology batteries for industry, continues to enable lower-cost power options for
aircraft with the all-new Saft 435CH6 ULM Battery. The innovative product design reduces
airplane operational costs due to battery upkeep by extending the standard flight hour
maintenance interval by more than nine times compared to previous options.
Per the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness, (ICA), the battery is approved to be operated for
1,800 hours in flight before requiring maintenance as a result of a testing program aboard
WestJet Encore’s Bombardier Q400 NextGen fleet. Prior to this, the standard timeframe for
battery operation was 200 hours.
The Bombardier Q400 NextGen is a turboprop aircraft that helps WestJet Encore and many other
airlines bring affordable air travel to more people in more communities with smaller aircraft
designed for maximum efficiency. The new Saft 435CH6 design is a direct form-fit replacement
for the legacy battery that is currently used on the aircraft. Globally, Bombardier has delivered
479 Q400 aircraft and another 521 are on order at this time.
The lightweight, high-energy battery is designed to endure the rigors of a long lifecycle in flight
with a 24V, 43Ah design that serves as the primary power source for the aircraft, along with
standby and auxiliary functions.
“Through reducing the amount of maintenance frequency, Saft is enabling OEMs to pass along
significant cost savings to their customers worldwide.” said John Adeimy, Vice President of Sales
and Marketing for the Industrial Battery Group in North America. “Installing our new 435CH6
ULM Battery in next generation aircraft and participating in retrofit programs opens large market
potentials to Saft’s aviation business.”
About Saft
Saft (Euronext: Saft) is a world leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology
batteries for industry. The Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of nickel batteries and
primary lithium batteries for the industrial infrastructure and processes, transportation, civil and
military electronics’ markets. Saft is the world leader in space and defence batteries with its Li-ion
technologies which are also deployed in the energy storage, transportation and
telecommunication network markets. More than 3,800 employees in 18 countries, 14
manufacturing sites and an extensive sales network all contribute to accelerating the Group’s
growth for the future.
Saft batteries. Designed for industry. www.saftbatteries.com
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Press contacts:
Saft
Jill Ledger, Corporate Communication and Institutional Relations Director
Tel.: +33 1 49 93 17 77, e-mail: [email protected]
Naomi Silver, U.S. Communications Manager IBG
Tel.: + 1-229-245-2854, e-mail: [email protected]
French | West | Vaughan
Ryan Roccaforte, Tel.: +1-919-277-1169, e-mail: [email protected]
Six Degrees
Andrew Bartlett, Tel.: +44 118 900 0860, e-mail: [email protected]
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