Businessweek

Sevcon, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, engages in the design and sale of motor controllers for zero emission and hybrid electric vehicles under the Sevcon name. The company offers its products and services in the United States, England, France, South Korea, and Japan. The company’s products convert the electrical energy from the power source and control its use by the electric motors. The controllers are used to vary the speed and movement of vehicles, to integrate specialized functions and to prolong the shift life of vehicles’ power source. Customers and Markets The company’s customers are primarily manufacturers of vehicles for both on-road and off-road applications. Its traditional customers are mainly manufacturers of capital goods, such as fork lift trucks, aerial lifts, and railway signaling equipment. Its major customer is Renault Spain. Industrial Markets: In these applications, the customers design and manufacture fork lift trucks, aerial work platforms, airport ground support, and mining vehicles. These are designed for use in off road applications in distribution, construction, transport, and mineral extraction. On Road Markets: Customers in the company’s on-road markets design and manufacture automobiles, scooters, motorcycles, buses, trucks, utility vehicles, sweepers, and other applications where either all or part of the power system is electrical. Capacitor Markets: Through another subsidiary located in Wales, the company manufactures special metalized film capacitors for electronics applications. Customers use these capacitors as components in power electronics, signaling, and audio equipment. Research and development The company's research and development expenditure amounted to $3,745,000 in 2012. Competition The company has global competitors, which are divisions of larger public companies, including Kollmorgen, Sauer Danfoss, and Hitachi, as well as the motors division of General Electric. It also competes on a worldwide basis with Curtis Instruments Inc., Zapi SpA., and Iskra. In its new on-road markets, the company also competes with Unique Mobility Inc. and divisions of Siemens, Continental, and Eaton Corporation. History Sevcon, Inc. was founded in 1987.