Tougher Truck Idling Regulations Sweep Nation; Drivers Must Seek Alternative Power...

Tougher Truck Idling Regulations Sweep Nation; Drivers Must Seek Alternative Power Sources

Reduced diesel fuel use, cleaner air, less noise are goals of new
regulations
PEORIA, Ill.--(Business Wire)--The steady drone of idling trucks parked at hundreds of California
truck stops is significantly lower this month as trucks are now
restricted to just five minutes of engine idling time per hour.

The California Air Resources Board's anti-idling rule carries
fines beginning at $100. It is part of a wave of increasingly
stringent, state-by-state regulations introduced across the nation to
help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, toxins and pollutants, and
to save fuel. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that with
a half million long-haul trucks now operating nationwide, wasteful
engine idling may consume as much as 840 million gallons of diesel
fuel annually.

California isn't alone. With certain exemptions, three minute
engine idling limits currently are in force in Connecticut, Delaware,
the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York City. Imposing a
five-minute limit right now are Arizona, Colorado, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and the state of New York. In Texas, with
certain exemptions, idling limits for trucks are five minutes per hour
during the warmer months of April through October when truckers' air
conditioner use is heaviest. Other states have different versions of
the rules but include more lenient time limits.

For drivers resting in sleeper cabs, the rule poses special
problems. Without use of their engines, they must rely on traditional
deep cycle lead acid batteries, or small auxiliary diesel power plants
to provide overnight power for heaters, air conditioners, TVs,
refrigerators, microwaves and other devices used when their cabs
become hotel rooms.

According to Ed Williams, Chief Executive Officer of battery
technology company Firefly Energy, www.fireflyenergy.com these
long-haul trucks and their drivers trying to stay powered during rest
periods "will experience continued daily reductions in battery run
time and premature battery failure, since traditional lead acid
batteries cannot tolerate the repeated deep discharging required to
achieve long battery run times. Diesel-powered auxiliary power units
still consume fuel, generate pollutants, and present long-term
maintenance issues. Given the right battery that can handle the daily
run-time requirements, batteries clearly are the way to address this
issue."

To provide an answer to the anti-idling regulations, Firefly
Energy announced late last year that the first pre-production versions
of its BCI Group 31 truck battery--called "Oasis"--will be available
for testing by trucking companies during the first quarter of 2008.

Williams says the company's Oasis truck battery for sleeper cabs
will primarily be utilized when the truck's diesel engine is turned
off, and will provide up to 50 percent longer run times than
competitors when powering accessories which collectively make up a
truck's "hotel loads."

Initial availability of the battery will be in the summer of 2008,
with full production of the Oasis battery scheduled for the fourth
quarter of 2008.

"With regulators and the rest of us wanting more efficient use of
fuel, fewer pollutants in the air and added savings for our
pocketbooks, anti-diesel engine idling regulations are becoming more
pervasive," he continues. "Better battery performance will contribute
to added trucker safety, comfort and productivity as well. We feel the
Oasis battery will help provide truckers with a quiet, comfortable
haven to use during their mandatory rest periods while saving precious
fuel and keeping the environment cleaner."

An updated 2008 idling regulations compendium that lists
state-by-state restrictions is now available from the American
Transportation Research Institute.

"ATRI's idling regulations compendium helps truck drivers reduce
idling and comply with idling regulations throughout the U.S.," says
Rebecca Brewster, ATRI President and Chief Operating Officer. "Drivers
also can get a cab card from the ATRI, listing each regulation in each
state, which can be kept conveniently right in their cabs for easy
reference."

Background on Firefly Energy's Oasis battery

The primary characteristic of Firefly Energy's Oasis battery is
the inclusion of a high surface area, non-corrodible and light weight
micro-cell foam material. Firefly Energy's microcell-based battery
technology achieves the high power potential of lead acid chemistry
which was impossible to achieve in the past with ordinary lead acid
batteries. This technology not only reduces the lead content making
the batteries smaller and lighter, but additionally enables faster,
deeper and more reliable discharges and recharges. Microcell
technology significantly extends the battery's life, makes it more
environmentally friendly, and less expensive than lithium and nickel
battery chemistries.

Conventional deep-cycle lead acid batteries used in supporting the
truck's electronics have shown sizeable performance drop-off after
some 200 deep discharge cycles. The Oasis battery will be valuable in
trucking because it will offer a several-fold increase in deep
discharge cycles, continuous power throughout the discharge process, a
fast recharge to 100 percent capacity, excellent vibration resistance,
and greater cold weather capabilities. Battery life is also extended
since life-shortening sulfation is dramatically reduced. When tested
in cold weather extremes at minus 20(degree)C, the Firefly batteries
were capable of delivering above 65 percent of their rated "room
temperature" capacity, compared to 20 percent or less for standard
Group 31 batteries.

About Firefly Energy (www.fireflyenergy.com)

Firefly Energy Inc. ("Firefly") is a Peoria, Illinois-based
battery technology company developing a portfolio of lead-acid battery
technologies and products to enhance battery performance within major
portions of the worldwide battery marketplace, now estimated at $30
billion in annual sales. The company's first applied technology is a
micro-cell foam-based battery technology, which can deliver a unique
combination of high performance, extremely low weight and low cost,
all within a battery which unleashes the full power potential of lead
acid chemistry while overcoming its historical performance drawbacks.
Firefly's battery products and their patented microcell technology
deliver to battery markets a level of performance achieved with
advanced battery chemistries (Nickel Metal Hydride and Lithium) but at
one-fifth the cost. Micro-cell foam battery products can be
manufactured as well as recycled within the existing lead acid battery
industry's vast infrastructure. The company won the prestigious R&D100
award from R&D magazine in 2007 and was a co-winner along with Los
Alamos National Laboratories of the 2007 Technology Innovation Award
presented by The Wall Street Journal. Firefly is backed by
multi-billion dollar product companies such as Caterpillar
(www.cat.com)(NYSE: CAT), BAE Systems (www.baesystems.com) (London
Stock Exchange over the counter symbol: BAESY), and Husqvarna
(www.husqvarna.com Other OTC: HSQVY.PK). Additional investors include
Chicago-area Venture Capital firm KB Partners (www.kbpartners.com) and
the State of Illinois' Illinois Finance Authority.

Tech Image for Firefly Energy
Dave Reiners (847) 279-0022 ext. 233
Dave.Reiners@techimage.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008