AV in the News
Look here to find articles and citings in the press about AV, our people, our products and topics that relate to us. If you find something elsewhere that we have not posted, then let us know by sending us an email at info@avinc.com.Monrovia Firm is on the Cutting Edge of `Green’
February 22, 2010
MONROVIA - A local company is going into the future fully charged.
After two decades of riding the fits and starts of the electric vehicle movement, Monrovia-based AeroVironment, Inc. finds itself at the forefront of an industry that could finally go mainstream. That industry, electric vehicles, represents potential for new jobs ranging from workers at lithium battery plants to electricians working on installing charging stations.
AV’s UAS Featured on ABC News
February 17, 2010
Raven Takes Flight For North
January 27, 2010
Test Area 3 became the scene of a popular Fox news show Jan. 19 during a visit by retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North.
The highly decorated and once controversial Marine officer is now a political commentator, bestselling author and television host of “War Stories with Oliver North” on the Fox News Channel. During his Redstone Arsenal visit, the Fox cameras were focused on the Raven unmanned aircraft system, and the Soldiers and Program Executive Office for Aviation employees behind its success on the battlefield.
Zero to 80% in 15 minutes: New Benchmark For EV Fast-Charging
January 26, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 26, 2010 – Electric vehicle manufacturer THINK today announced that it will work with AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) (AV), a leading developer and supplier of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, to pursue demonstration and commercial projects using AV’s level III fast-charge system and the THINK City electric vehicle. The projects will be designed to jump-start the development of fast-charge infrastructure in the United States.
Water World: Delivering Clean Water With Clean Energy
January 21, 2010
According to the United Nations Human Development Report, more than 1.1 billion people have inadequate access to clean water. This number is growing, making access to fresh water an increasingly critical problem to be addressed, particularly in developing nations where electrical infrastructure is not available. Innovative solutions to help solve this problem have become a necessity, and one such solution is the Universal Solar Pump Controller (USPC), a unique "gridless" pump-controlling technology that converts solar energy to electricity for powering pumping devices.
The USPC, developed by AeroVironment, Inc. (AV), helps provide water to regions that have little or no grid-tied electricity. In the East African Republic of Uganda, much of the country remains unconnected to the electrical grid, and in the town of Kitgum, more than 300 kilometers north of Kampala, the capital of Uganda, the USPC provides water to the community using solar generated electricity.
Forbes: AeroVironment Will Build A Filling Station In Your Garage
January 18, 2010
AeroVironment's persistence may pay off big.
The quirky Monrovia, Calif.-based company was hired by General Motors in the 1980s to help develop electric vehicles, leading to the first mass-produced electric vehicle, the EV-1. While GM gave up on the car, AeroVironment kept up its electric vehicle research and development and has been offering EV charging and testing equipment and services to automakers as well as selling a line of chargers for heavy-duty electric forklifts.
Boxer Lauds Critical Investments in California Clean Energy Projects
January 14, 2010
Los Angeles, CA – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today praised President Obama’s announcement that seven California companies involved in clean-energy manufacturing will receive more than $235 million in job-creating tax credits.
Senator Boxer said, “California is on the cutting edge of the growing clean-energy economy. I am so proud the Department of Energy recognized the leadership of these companies and awarded a quarter-billion dollars of investment to our state that will result in the jobs and energy savings that we so desperately need.”
Nissan North America Selects AeroVironment To Install Home-Charging Stations For Nissan Leaf
January 11, 2010
Agreement part of one-stop shop experience for EV purchase process.
Detroit, Mich. - Nissan North America (NNA) today announced its selection of AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) (AV) to supply electric vehicle home-charging stations and installation services supporting the introduction of the zero-emission, all-electric Nissan LEAF later this year.
TÜV SÜD America Expands Battery Testing Services
December 03, 2009
Auburn Hills, Michigan - December 3, 2009 - TÜV SÜD America Inc., a global testing and certification firm, has increased the scope of the Battery Testing services it provides. Two sites are involved in this expansion, Auburn Hills and Holland, Michigan. Both locations will see additional investments in 2009 and early 2010. With the addition of advanced battery cyclers from AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV), TÜV SÜD America will provide its customers with battery testing and simulation services on a global scale. Since the 1990s, AeroVironment has supplied EV and electric system test equipment to electric vehicle, fuel cell, and battery manufacturers around the world.
Army to Expand Raven Family of Unmanned Aircraft
November 17, 2009
Soldiers like the Raven unmanned aircraft — the smallest in the Army’s inventory — because they can lug it around in a rucksack and launch it into the air by hand. Ground commanders now want the flexibility to fly the system higher and for longer periods.
Officials at the Army’s unmanned aircraft systems program are proposing a new concept for the Raven. They are looking to expand it into a set of Ravens of three different sizes, says Col. Gregory Gonzalez, project manager of the UAS program. One would be smaller than the current Raven, the other would be larger to give troops more options.
AV Test Systems Support EV Development
November 11, 2009
FEV grows its EV and hybrid expertise to develop tomorrow’s electrified powertrains.
In the last 12 months we have developed, or helped develop, 10 different alternative powered vehicles, either electric, range-extended, or hybrid vehicles," said Dr. Jochem Wolschendorf, Chief Technical Officer and Vice President of Vehicle and Drivetrain Engineering for FEV.
Army To Field Upgraded Raven UAV In December
November 04, 2009
When a commander in the war zone needs a bird’s eye view, it often means grabbing a nearby rucksack and releasing a small unmanned aerial vehicle dubbed the Raven.
Tossed to the skies and controlled from the ground, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are using the UAV for overhead observation.
Aviation Week Profiles AV’s “Creative Culture”
October 29, 2009
Once best-known for its human- and solar-powered aircraft and more recently renowned for its small unmanned air systems, AeroVironment depends on innovation more than most other technology companies.
Founded by legendary aeronautical engineer Paul MacCready in 1971, AeroVironment became a household name within a decade when his company won successive Kremer prizes for human-powered flight with the Gossamer Condor and Albatross aircraft.
Forbes.com The 200 Best Small Companies
October 27, 2009
Behind the numbers of this year's best small companies.
Small fry got smacked hard in year two of the Great Recession: 42% of the companies in the Russell 2000 small-company index lost money in the last 12 months, versus 22% for those in the S&P 500. Still, enough winners emerged to ease the sector's overall pain. The Russell was up 8%, the S&P 6%.
Smiths Detection, AeroVironment and US Army Collaborate on Chemical Agent-Detecting UAV
October 05, 2009
EDGEWOOD, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smiths Detection today announces the successful creation and demonstration of an unmanned aircraft chemical detection and identification system capable of warning troops against chemical warfare agents. The detection and identification system, able to fit in the interchangeable nose cone of a Raven® UAV, is a result of the collaborative efforts between Smiths Detection, AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (Nasdaq: AVAV), the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center and other U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) laboratories.
AV Featured on ABC News, Ahead of the Curve
September 29, 2009
AV’s Raven Helps Protect Danish Soldiers In Afghanistan
September 25, 2009
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The Scandinavian countries are in an arms deal frenzy: While Sweden is in negotiations to sell fighter jets to Brazil, Denmark is looking to buy a host of weapons systems to boost its troops in Afghanistan.
Test Flights: New Unmanned Aircraft Tested At Dugway
September 24, 2009
DUGWAY ? The U.S. Army's unmanned aircraft effort officially stepped out of its infancy Wednesday with the opening of a new center that will pool resources and brainpower. The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office Rapid Integration and Acceptance Center's mission is to develop more, better, faster deployments of the remotely controlled surveillance and communication relay vehicles. Both Army brass and ground troops say the aircraft are the best thing next to their gun and helmet to have on the battlefield.
View Dugway UAS Video Footage
AeroVironment Receives the “Green Technology Award” at SGV’s Annual Awards Gala
September 16, 2009
ARCADIA - Innovation, community service, corporate responsibility - these are the building blocks that can sustain and move an economy forward. And seven of the San Gabriel Valley's most outstanding businesses, organizations and individuals were honored Friday for their role in helping to do just that. The honors were given at the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership's sixth annual awards gala, held Friday night at Santa Anita Park. AeroVironment Inc., a Monrovia-based maker of unmanned surveillance planes and intelligent charging systems for electric vehicles, received the Green Technology Award.
Electric Car Buzz Drives Firm’s Fuel Station Plan
August 24, 2009
An AeroVironment worker demonstrates the Monrovia company's electric fuel 'pump'.
With every automaker announcing an electric car, AeroVironment Inc. believes it is time to take its expertise in vehicle refueling on the road.
The Monrovia-based company, best known for manufacturing unmanned aircraft, is in the final stages of designing electric vehicle charging stations for residential and commercial use. It's already pitching them to companies, government agencies, policymakers and automakers, hoping for a big piece of a market that's now tiny but has huge growth potential. About $320 billion is expected to be spent on equipment and infrastructure for electric vehicle charging over the next couple of decades.
AV Featured on Engineering TV
August 10, 2009
AV’s Nano Air Vehicle Featured on G4TV
August 05, 2009
Real Flying Saucers, Supersonic Fighters, and Battle Birds
Sometimes the things we see in action movies are real. No, really! Check out these actual military forces like a flying saucer prototype, the supersonic F35C Lightning II stealth fighter and a nano air vehicle modeled after a hummingbird. Don't get any crazy ideas about becoming a movie action hero.
AV Featured in the LA Business Journal - These Firms Keep Things Interesting
August 04, 2009
I was thumbing through Forbes magazine a few weeks ago, and came across an article about AeroVironment Inc. The story was about how the Monrovia company is developing an explosive so it can add a lethal punch to its little drone aircraft that are popular with American soldiers in Afghanistan.
Fast-Charging EVs: Time to Get Down to Business
July 24, 2009
You may never have heard of California-based AeroVironment (founded in 1971), but it’s the company that brought you the first version of the General Motors EV-1, and a whole host of ultra-cool sun-powered lightweight racers, including the Solar Challenger and the Sunraycer.
UAV Ravens Keep An Eye In Iraqi Skies
July 23, 2009
KIRKUK — Launching an unmanned aircraft by throwing it in the air really hard might not sound too technologically advanced, but with surveillance equipment and auto navigational systems on board, these easily-deployable UAVs can be the difference between life and death on the battlefields of Iraq.
This aircraft, known as a "Raven," is operated by two Soldiers here with the 1st Cavalry Division, who use it as an "eye in the sky" around the base.
Defence Chiefs Visit Camp Growl at TS09
July 23, 2009
Australia’s Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) LTGEN David Hurley, the Chief of Army (CA) LTGEN Ken Gillespie, the Chief of Navy (CN) VADM Russell Crane, took the opportunity to see the range of new joint capabilities incorporated during Ex TS09, including the projection of military power through amphibious naval operations aboard a Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), the "Wasp" - an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and the latest technological advances in urban warfare simulation, in addition to the warm rapport between Australian and U.S. service personnel.
In The Driver’s Seat Of An Electrified Future
July 21, 2009
For Kristen Helsel, all roads lead to electric chargers - political, social and technological roads, that is. And electric cars will be on those roads.
How To Build a Spy Bat - AeroVironment Featured on Forbes.com
June 26, 2009
Researchers are studying creatures that fly through the night in hopes of making tiny flying spies.
As U.S. soldiers march over the mountains of Afghanistan, they lug in backpacks contraptions that look more like model planes than military equipment: flying drones that can buzz over ridges and mountains, looking for Taliban and terrorists. The drones, which the soldiers direct with a controller that looks like a videogame, make their reports by sending back real-time video feeds.
Forbes Magazine Profiles AeroVironment
June 26, 2009
A maker of tiny spy drones used in Iraq and Afghanistan is trying to add lethal firepower and altitude to its profitable business. Aerovironment, a Monrovia, Calif. company, set the world record for altitude in 2001, when it flew a gangly, remote-controlled, solar-powered plane with a 250-foot wingspan to 96,863 feet. The sky is dark up there, and the air is thin, just one-hundredth the density of air at sea level.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Drones Win Their Spurs
June 15, 2009
There have been few winners in Iraq and Afghanistan. Casualty rates have been high among both locals and foreign military forces. Meanwhile, equipment, ethics and strategies have all come a cropper in the difficult physical and political terrain. Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones are a notable exception.
New Model Army?
May 28, 2009
U.S. Marines On Operations In Remote Southwest Afghanistan...BAQWA, AFGHANISTAN - MARCH 21: U.S. Marine Sgt. Nicholas Bender launches a Raven surveillance drone from Marine base perimeter on March 21, 2009 near the remote village of Baqwa, Afghanistan. Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment use the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to get real time intelligence on Taliban movements.
AeroVironment’s EV Charging Systems Featured on CBS Evening News.
May 09, 2009
AeroVironment's EV Charging Systems featured on CBS Evening News segment regarding "Green Technology and Economic Growth."
Military Embraces Green Energy
April 26, 2009
Reporting from Ft. Irwin, Calif. - Inside a futuristic-looking dome that rises from the sandy wasteland of the high Mojave Desert, soldiers in plywood cubicles work at computers powered by solar panels and a towering wind turbine. Plug-in cars shuttle the troops across the vast expanses here at Ft. Irwin in San Bernardino County. At night, tents lined with insulating foam provide a cool retreat at the end of a 100-degree day.
TALES OF THE TAPE: Unmanned Planes Fuel AeroVironment Growth
April 21, 2009
CHICAGO (Dow Jones)-With a corner on the U.S. defense market for very small, unmanned aircraft and new clean energy technology in the pipeline, AeroVironment, Inc.'s (AVAV) chairman and chief executive, Timothy Conver, expects the company to find continued opportunities for revenue growth. Conver said Secretary Robert Gates's strategy at the U.S. Department of Defense, to offer greater support to current armed forces, plays into AeroVironment's strength.
On With the Wind at Historic New Building
April 10, 2009
New York City Mayor Bloomberg yesterday opened a $25 million building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard's industrial park that is the city's first with mounted wind turbines. The Perry Avenue property is the first multistory structure in the nation to be classified as a "green industrial facility" by the US Green Building Council, a Washington-based organization that rates properties for their effect on the environment, according to a statement from Bloomberg's office.
AeroVironment Featured in CNN’s “Edge of Discovery” Series
April 03, 2009
Cameras with Wings
They look like remote-controlled airplanes, but they provide the military with eyes in the sky.
AF Raven B Operators Maintain ‘Eyes-on’ for Ground Forces
March 19, 2009
(Camp Bucca, Iraq, March 19, 2009) - "There it is," said Staff Sgt. Jeff Tomkiewicz, 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, as he pointed at a little, buzzing white dot in the sky. As the Raven B operator approached the small strip of sand of Camp Bucca's Burge Field, the tiny Raven B unmanned aircraft system hovered above the ground for a moment then unceremoniously fell to the ground, waiting for Sergeant Tomkiewicz to retrieve it.
So You Think It’s a Toy?
March 17, 2009
KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq - RQ-11 Raven unmanned aerial vehicles may be easily mistaken for an unorthodox version of a model airplane, but Airmen here use the UAV to secure the base and surrounding neighborhoods. Weighing in at less than 5 pounds, the Raven is operated from the ground via a remote control unit that can send the aircraft 10 kilometers away at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.
Semper Fi - the Evolving USMC UAS Fleet
March 02, 2009
In highlighting the contributions that UAS bring to the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) concept, the United States Marine Corps' (USMC) Vision and Strategy 2025 builds on the myriad lessons learned from successful employment of these platforms in ongoing combat operations.
Smithsonian - Under the Radar with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
February 25, 2009
At the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (NASM), a display of six unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) demonstrates what happens when the little airplanes of my childhood get serious. Take the five-pound, 45-inch wingspan AeroVironment RQ-14A "Dragon Eye." Launched by hand, or with a bungee cord, the tiny scout plane is controlled by GPS coordinates entered into its guidance system with a standard laptop computer.
AeroVironment’s AV 900 is the Centerpiece of Advanced Battery Research Lab in Detroit
January 30, 2009
Ricardo Inc. opens a $2 million battery systems development center outside of Detroit, a facility the engineering firm considers state-of-the-art for the burgeoning research field. "We think the linchpin to electric vehicles and hybrids is batteries, and that's what this lab is all about," says Ricardo President Dean Harlow.
A Balanced Strategy, by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
January 21, 2009
The defining principle of the Pentagon's new National Defense Strategy is balance. The United States cannot expect to eliminate national security risks through higher defense budgets, to do everything and buy everything. The Department of Defense must set priorities and consider inescapable tradeoffs and opportunity costs.
Obama’s Shift on Afghan War Lets AeroVironment Climb
January 16, 2009
Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) - AeroVironment Inc., maker of the unmanned drones that Barack Obama called "revolutionary" technology, is expecting a boost in orders when the new administration in Washington shifts the focus of the U.S. war on terror to Afghanistan. "The president-elect has indicated" the importance of drones for the 21st century battlefield, Chief Executive Officer Tim Conver said in an interview. "Unmanned aircraft systems have proven to be hugely effective in Afghanistan."
AeroVironment Added to S&P SmallCap 600 Index
January 14, 2009
AeroVironment will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 GICS Aerospace & Defense Sub-Industry index.
Military Maneuvers
January 14, 2009
Forbes.com - Contrary to rumors, Obama will not eliminate the Defense Department. Here are some contractors that could prosper even in a Democratic Administration.
ASU Salvages Old Building for New School of Sustanability
January 06, 2009
The renovation was led by the design team of Lord, Aeck & Sargent and Gould Evans Associates; they're anticipating LEED Silver certification and did it all with a $6 M budget. Now complete, it will be used for Arizona State University's Global Institute of Sustainability and a newly formed School of Sustainability. In terms of performance, the Institute is anticipated to save 18.7% on energy and 50.3% on water use compared with its baseline usage -- plus, it's been outfitted with six, hard-to-miss, state-of-the-art AeroVironment parapet turbines.
A Cleaner Way to Keep the City Running
January 02, 2009
For centuries, grist-grinders and sailors have exploited the wind. Now, New York developers, homeowners and city leaders might be coming around. A handful of buildings are already drawing electricity from wind turbines, which typically resemble table fans, or mounted airplane propellers. Unlike some of the skyscraping versions that dot rural hillsides, small turbines supply power directly to homes without first sending it through a utility company's lines.
AeroVironment Has Been Named A “Homeland Security Rising 10”
November 30, 2008
As the year draws to a close, it's time to revisit the 10 companies that HSToday named as up-and-comers in April. Although they did not make the list of the top 25 contractors with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), they were selected for their dynamism.
Carmakers Charge Ahead with Electrics
November 20, 2008
The future - or at least a future - may finally be in sight for the electric car. Nissan-Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn announced plans at the L.A. Auto Show on Wednesday to begin selling a competitively priced electric car in Oregon in 2010. The vehicle would go "mass market" by 2012, Ghosn vowed.
AeroVironment Featured on Mad Money with Host Jim Cramer
October 28, 2008
AVAV: Flying High
Insight on AeroVironment, with Mad Money host Jim Cramer.
Hawaii Can Go Green - Architectural Wind Turbines
September 18, 2008
ABC News features some of the companies that are helping Hawaii "Go Green" at the Heco Expo.
Airports Go For Green with Eco-Friendly Efforts
September 16, 2008
A fleet of miniature wind turbines at Boston Logan International Airport have perhaps the best view of the city, overlooking the downtown skyline across the expansive harbor as commercial jets descend overhead. Each 6-foot-tall turbine, placed at the edge of the rooftop of the airport's headquarters, is affixed at a unique angle to capture the winds that gust through Boston Harbor and climb the building's walls.
A Monrovia Firm’s Tiny Planes Have Growing Clout
September 10, 2008
AeroVironment Inc.'s Unmanned Spy Craft Become Vital Reconnaissance Tools on the Battlefield
Standing amid a grove of pepper plants in Thousand Oaks last week, Christopher Thompson revved up his plane's tiny 6-inch propeller and then gently tossed it into the sky, much as weekend hobbyists fly their airborne toys. But this mini-aircraft called the Raven, weighing little over 4 pounds and painted in Army gray, is no ordinary model. It is actually a tiny U.S. military spy plane that can hover quietly 500 feet in the air and transmit video images to operators several miles away. These Simi Valley-made planes are providing vital information to ground combat soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan who want to know what's happening over the ridge and around the bend.
Assessing the Value of Small Wind Turbines
September 04, 2008
Fascination with wind turbines small enough to mount on a roof is spreading from coast to coast. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York last month proposed dotting the city with them. Small turbines have already appeared at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, atop an office building at Logan International Airport in Boston, and even on a utility pole in the small New Hampshire town of Hampton.
County Companies Setting Green Goals
August 03, 2008
Cutting consumptions of fossil fuels would not only clean the air and help meet climate change goals but also cut energy costs by lowering demand, improve American Energy independence and address the nation's trade imbalance. A company with a factory in Simi Valley, AeroVironment, Inc., has been particulary successful with energy-related innovations.
Fully-Electric, 95mph Sports Utility Charges in 10 Minutes
July 27, 2008
Another step towards exploding the perception that electric vehicles will never have the grunt, range or practicality of their oil guzzling, high-emissions counterparts has been taken in California with a record charging time demonstrated for the all-electric Phoenix SUT (Sports Utility Truck). The milestone demonstrated by AeroVironment saw the 35kWh (kilowatt-hour) battery pack developed for use with the Phoenix fully-charged in less than ten minutues - enough to power the five-seat utility for 100 miles.
In Search of Sustainability
July 01, 2008
Seeking to reduce energy costs and to protect the environment, companies are exploring 'green" manufacturing practices and sustainable/renewable packaging applications.
Delta Goes Green with Electric Baggage Vehicles
February 08, 2008
COLONIE - Delta Air Lines on Thursday unveiled a fleet of electric baggage-handling vehicles that it hopes will reduce carbon dioxide emissions and field costs.
Delta spent $365,000 on the battery-powered equipment - six baggage tractors and three belt loaders - which will replace machines powered by diesel fuel.
"This program will help to expand our sustainable business practices and achieve significant operational and environmental benefits," said Fred Acunto, Albany station manager for Delta Air Lines.
