Quick update on EEStor and ZENN Motors
If you have been following AutoblogGreen for a while, you are familiar with EEstor, Inc., a company that has been working on an ultracapacitor power source that has gotten a lot of press in green circles. ZENN Motor Company is reported to be getting first access to the technology, and as we reported in November, this new power source will allow ZENN to quadruple their range, add high-speed charging to their Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs), look at a high-speed platform and make a highway-ready vehicle.
Not a lot has been said since then, but I found a new announcement over on Treehugger.
Here are some highlights from president and CEO Richard Weir:
- EEStor has been awarded a critical patent related to their technology
- 12 additional patents are pending
- They have built a state-of-the-art facility and added new talent
- They remain on track to begin shipping production 15 kilowatt-hour Electrical Energy Storage Units to ZENN Motor Company in 2007
"The production EESU for ZENN Motor Company will function to specification in operating environments as severe as negative 20 to plus 65 degrees Celsius, will weigh less than 100 pounds, and will have ability to be recharged in a matter of minutes."
They hype continues. Let's see what they deliver.
Related:
- EDTA Conference: Secret effects of EESTOR ultracapacitor info from ZENN Motor CEO
- Feel Good Cars wants EEStor technology by 2008
- Zenn EV coming to America in late July
[Source: Marketwire via Treehugger}
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jeffrey B. McRoberts 1:25PM (4/21/2008)
The technology - electric powered vehicles appear to be for the fair weather crowd. I am interested in a vehicle but hesitate, living in the winter/snow and harsh climate in the northern midwest area of the US, many questions come to mind...1)Battery efficiency in the cold; 2) Defrost/heaters for the driver/passenger; 3) Handling in snowy/icy conditions; 4) Acceleration/Stopping/Handling Characteristics
5) Etc.
I would also assume lights, radio, and other amenities would be engineered to draw a minimum amount of current or non-existant.
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mike 11:02PM (7/07/2008)
IF I COULD TALK TO GOD RIGHT NOW, HE WOULD SAY why do you not use this energy storage device to save the grid from overload during peak usage by charging these capacitors for home use during off peak times for use later when the grid needs help????? Who cares about cars when the grid will go down from their excessive demands??????.......Stupid Genius
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Earl Cecil 5:16AM (3/22/2009)
what`s the price
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Hippie Hunter 2:58PM (1/18/2007)
Can these things get any uglier?
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Tim 2:32PM (1/18/2007)
Interested in learning more about new battery technologies? Take a look here http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Batteries
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Kent Beuchert 12:38AM (1/24/2007)
If EESTor's battery/capacitor works, the short
and rather pointless lives of ethanol and biodiesel will be over. As GM's Wagoner told the world, the way forward is electric.
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RON C ROW 9:00PM (6/27/2007)
I think electric is the way to go. The University of Toronto in Canada is working on infrared solar cell technology that will produce five times the power of conventional soloar cells. This can be painted on cars which will charge the batteries while you are in the parking lot. However, for this to work, we will have to fight the oil companies exponentially because they with the greed they have, they would rather destroy the world with exhaust emissions than lose a penny of profit.
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Jesse Ramey 4:59PM (8/20/2007)
The ZENN dealer in New London Ohio told me that the version of the ZENN with the Eestor capacitor will not ship until 2008. He also said that the range and speed of the Eestor version that has been claimed in the press will not happen. He says that the car is not physically built to go more than 35mph and that the range of the Eestor device will be about 80 miles.
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Chris M 5:47PM (8/20/2007)
It's 8 months later, and we haven't heard a peep recently from EESTOR or ZENN on this wonderous mega ultra super capacitor.
I suspect that they've hit a major snag, mainly, it doesn't work nearly as well as they had planned. Will they scale back expectations, or just cancel the whole thing?
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Chris M 3:00AM (7/06/2008)
Well, it is now 19 months later, and still no sign of any progress! EEStor is waaay behind scedule, and it is likely that high performance LiIon batteries may well be on the market before their hypercaps arrive, and beat them on price and performance.