Ener1 Earns Prestigious R&D 100 Award for Innovative Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Battery Technology

         Shares 'Oscar of Innovation' Honor with Argonne Nat'l Lab



    FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 17 /EMWNews/ -- Ener1, Inc.

(Amex: HEV), maker of advanced battery technology to power the next

generation of hybrid and electric vehicles, announced today that it has

received the prestigious R&D 100 award for excellence in its technology and

innovative design. The award is shared by Ener1 and its research partner,

the U.S. Department of Energy and University of Chicago's Argonne National

Laboratory.



    



    Ener1 develops and manufactures compact, high performance lithium-ion

(Li-ion) batteries for advanced automotive applications based on technology

originally pioneered by Argonne researchers. Demand for cost effective

battery solutions is being driven by a need to reduce dependence on foreign

oil imports and the growing concern about vehicle emissions.



    Dubbed the 'Oscars of Innovation' by the Chicago Tribune, the R&D 100

awards were introduced by R&D magazine in 1964 to certify products across

all platforms of technology throughout the world, deemed to demonstrate

outstanding innovation in terms of research and development. The R&D 100

award provides a mark of excellence recognized by industry and academia.



    "The R&D 100 has a long history of recognizing the next generation of

predominant technologies," commented Ener1 Chairman, Charles Gassenheimer.

"The global market for clean, cost-effective solutions to meet the

transportation needs of an increasingly energy-constrained world is

exploding today. Advanced battery technologies are going to be a very big

part of that future. Argonne National Labs has been an invaluable strategic

partner in the development and testing of this technology, which we

strongly believe will revolutionize the automobile industry as we know it

today."



    The Ener1 battery has unique characteristics in terms of chemistry and

cell design, which gave rise to the nomination. Their lithium-ion battery

is on schedule to be integrated into an electric vehicle for commercial

production at the end of this year.



    Over the years, the R&D 100 Awards have recognized winning products

with such household names as Polacolor film (1963), the flashcube (1965),

the automated teller machine (1973), the halogen lamp (1974), the fax

machine (1975), the liquid crystal display (1980), the printer (1986), the

Kodak Photo CD (1991), the Nicoderm antismoking patch (1992), Taxol

anticancer drug (1993), lab on a chip (1996), and HDTV (1998).

    About Ener1, Inc.



    Ener1, Inc. (Amex: HEV) is an energy storage solutions company that is

developing and commercializing advanced, high-performance safe lithium-ion

(Li-ion) batteries for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in HEVs

(PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs). Ener1 is also developing commercial

fuel cell products through its EnerFuel subsidiary and nanotechnology-based

materials and manufacturing processes for batteries and other applications

through its NanoEner subsidiary. For more information, visit

http://www.ener1.com and http://www.enerdel.com or call (212) 920-3500.



    About Argonne



    Argonne National Laboratory brings the world's brightest scientists and

engineers together to find exciting and creative new solutions to pressing

national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national

laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific

research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work

closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and

federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific

problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation

for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is

managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office

of Science.






    Contacts:    INVESTOR RELATIONS:

                 Rachel Carroll

                 VP Corporate Communications

                 P: 212 920 3500*105

                 E: [email protected]



                 MEDIA RELATIONS

                 Jon Coifman

                 Waggener Edstrom Worldwide

                 P: 212 907 6516

                 E: [email protected]