ZENN claims they will launch EEStor-powered EV in fall 2009
At ZENN annual shareholder meeting in Toronto yesterday, company officials made a big announcement about their plans to move beyond mere neighborhood electric vehicles. They plan to launch a model called the cityZENN which will be a fully certified electric car with 80 mph top speed and 250-mile range. The most important element of the cityZENN is the use of EEStor ultra-capacitors to store electrical energy. ZENN is claiming five minute recharge capability for the EEStor energy storage system. However, don't expect to do five minute recharges at home. Just as with fast charging batteries from the likes of Altairnano, putting that much energy in the capacitors so quickly requires very high current and voltage, much more than is available from any regular outlet. It will also take a very thick cable to provide sufficiently low resistance.
In other news, the existing NEV range will get new four passenger and utility versions added. ZENN also plans to work with some OEMs to produce vehicles with a ZENNergy drive-train (electric drive with EEStor storage) and branded as ZENN vehicles for sale. No word on exactly when that will happen. There's also a recording of the meeting available at the ZENNcars.com web site. You'll need to register and have RealPlayer installed to listen.
[Source: ZENN thanks to Mark for the tip]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tim 12:42PM (3/29/2008)
How do I charge an electric car in 5 or 10 minutes?
ZENN was presumably claiming a charge time of 5 minutes for the 15KWh unit which will initially be used to power the ZENN electric car, not a 52KWh unit as in the Eestor patent.
The easy way to do this is to have TWO Eestor units - one in the house (or several in a “filling” station) and one in the car. The energy “hose” would be about the same size and weight as the one now used for gasoline. You charge the house unit at night in a few hours using cheap-rate electricity (which a number of countries and regions have, but not all) at 110v or 240v and a current that is comfortable for the house supply. Then you can charge the car from the house unit in 5 minutes using a well insulated cable at 3500v and 70 amps (approx, depending on converter losses at both ends). For a 52Kwh unit 10 mins would probably be more comfortable.
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Jerome Callaghan 9:18PM (3/16/2009)
Why not gas stations converted to electricity stations which have a bunch of batteries to store energy and a big fat cable that you stick into your car to recharge? The electricity station either recharges the batteries themselves from the grid, or a battery set is trucked in, like gasoline. A single container would hold about 4,000+ batteries, right? Maybe 400 "fillups"?
Gina Maseratti 8:14AM (4/13/2009)
How about "filling stations" with pre-charged battery packs? You just swap out a set, and go on your way......?
Also, why not imbed 72 volt (or whatever) lines in the interstate roadways... you pay a toll, and a pickup under your car receives the current, like a slot car (without the slot) then, when you exit, you go back on battery power...alrady "topped off" for city driving......
Tim 12:44PM (3/29/2008)
ZENN Motor Company Details Plans for Highway Capable ZENN Powered by EEStor!
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 28, 2008) - ZENN Motor Company Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ZNN) (the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of electric vehicles, held its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders at which time management updated shareholders with Company progress in 2007 and detailed future plans for EEStor implementation including specifications around a highway capable, fully electric cityZENN!
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=837653
"EEStor's game-changing energy storage technology is in the advanced stages of commercialization", stated Ian Clifford, Chief Executive Officer. "EEStor has publicly committed to commercialization in 2008 and their first production line will be used to supply ZENN Motor Company."
“The Company also plans to work with strategic OEMs to offer a ZENNergy drivetrain, powered by EEStor, in various vehicle platforms as ZENN branded vehicles. ZENNergy drive systems will also be developed for the retrofitting and conversion of existing internal combustion vehicles to electric drive. The Company's initial target for these retrofit kits will be large, high-profile fleet opportunities.”
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Tim 12:46PM (3/29/2008)
Anyway, I don't care about 5 minute charging! I’ll only need 20 seconds to charge mine because that's how long it will take me to plug it in at home each night.
I'll take two IF they can cruise at 80mph for over 70 miles and if they cost less than $20K/copy with air conditioning and electric windows because a 70 mile electric range will handle over 92% of my daily driving and I have AAA in case I screw-up. I’ll keep my old gas car for those occasional long trips.
If this IS true the world will change almost overnight!
(please be true)
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Snowdog 12:55PM (3/29/2008)
If EEstor power unit claims are true, it will change the world.
But EEstor was first supposed to be on the road in 2006, then it was 2007, then it was 2008, now 2009.
I won't hold my breath on this one.
My expectations is that they will eventually deliver something far short of the claims. Far enough short that it isn't world changing. I would love to be proved wrong though.
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Mark 2:44PM (3/29/2008)
Please let this be sold in Canada...
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Altairian1 3:02PM (3/29/2008)
Nanosafe 1 minute charge to near full charge as of 2006. In Phoenix SUT/SUV as of 2007 and to come out in a couple of months. Fiat Doblo and Lightning GT due in 2008.
ISE and Alcoa in 2008-09.
Nanosafe 2 mgw delivered to AES 07 and connected to grid already.
AES Solar (solar energy farms)formed 3/25/08 will use Nanosafe energy stoerage.
Agassi/Israel/Dennemark may use same Megastorage systems forSolar and Wind farms that will charge their EVs.
Altairnano NANOSAFE is best of breed and way ahead of the gameimo.
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Mike Z 3:10PM (3/29/2008)
Altairian1:
Can you say Pump-and-dump?
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Altairian1 4:01PM (3/29/2008)
Seems Altairian 1 knows his facts.
Here is for you Mike superdumper:
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/12/electric-cars-nanotech-tech-sciences-cz_as_0112nano.html
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Tachy 6:18PM (3/29/2008)
EEstor homepage, still this:
http://www.eestor.us
hmm... looks not very responsible....
strategic partnership with Network Solutions?
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Chris M 9:28PM (3/29/2008)
The inconvenient fact is that EESTOR has yet to demonstrate even a tiny capacitor with their claimed energy density, let alone one big enough to power a full sized car. Sounds like they made their initial grandiose claim based on incorrect assumptions, without having actually tested even a small working model.
Now that they have tried to build it, they are finding it doesn't work as planned, and no doubt are in full panic mode, trying to make their impossible capacitor work.
Something tells me the other battery makers (and the ultracap companies) have nothing to fear from EESTOR.
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Yanquetino 11:01PM (3/29/2008)
No doubt about it, the fact that EEStor has yet to give a single public demonstration of their wonderous ultra-capacitor is worrisome. As I posted in another blog last night, either they are playing their cards extremely close to their chests or… they are masters at bluffing at the poker table.
Even still, at least their deafening silence isn’t causing much harm. We can’t say the same for vociferous, headline-grabbing, in-your-face sheisters like Zap or Spark EV or Hybrid Technologies.
I think that I prefer the silent type, come to think of it. If EEStor is also perpetrating another scam, at least it isn’t giving the public at large an aversion to anything and everything with the initials EV attached to it. If I see one more press release from Zap, I’m going to scream.
From what I heard in the meeting, ZENN does seem very confident that EEStor will pull through. I really hope that they haven't misplaced their trust --and millions!
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Scott 12:15AM (3/30/2008)
I really don't care what powers it, it is another example of a crappy unappealing product. If they could put a bit of design into it to make it more then an assembled POS and actually interesting visually I might be tempted.
Why do all these companies not understand that the 'appeal' is a big part. UGLY.
S
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Nicholas 6:03PM (3/30/2008)
If this is true then it is ONE HELL OF A REVOLUTION! But will something as good as the EESTOR be available, I mean it would put out EVERYTHING ELSE out there in the battery-industry!
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Snowdog 10:26AM (3/30/2008)
There are many factors that go into making a good battery. Charging time is only one.
The biggest two in my opinion are:
Cost
Durability.
NanoSafe are still ridiculously expensive, I remember reading the packs for the pickup trucks were something like $75000.
But if the durability claims are true (20years /10000 cycles) then that is nailed.
All that remains is to get the price to an affordable level... Though who knows when that happens.
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Mark 2:42PM (3/30/2008)
#12:
The car's design doesn't really matter. Others can laugh at you all they want, but you can laugh back. Everybody else has to spend 50 dollars a week in gas while you can drive by the gas station every day, and having the peace of mind that you don't have to follow the price of oil.
You have more money to yourself then they do. They'll stop laughing when they realize that.
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Noah 4:29PM (3/30/2008)
Its kinda got an ugly mug...but I like the ugly mug! There is no explaining this. I like the 1976 Ford Ranchero, primer gray with dirt wheels. No explainin it, I just like it.
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mrjerry 9:10PM (3/31/2008)
eestor to announce next milestone shortly
http://tyler.blogware.com/
Dick Weir, founder and CEO of EEStor, told me a few weeks ago that there would be an announcement soon on permittivity of its barium titanite powder, considered a major benchmark that would trigger future payments to EEStor from ZENN, and I can only assume Kleiner Perkins as well. No word yet, though I'm told EEStor is working on various aspects of its technology in parallel with the goal having a production run of commercial product in 2008.
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NoFossilFuels 12:57AM (3/31/2008)
I was at the Annual Meeting where the announcement was made.
I feel the EEstor device will be ready for production this year. They have solid financial backing with the same Venture Capital company that had dealings with Google and also EEStor also has a partnership with Lockheed Martin.This technology will be world changing in positive ways for Zenn and not so positive ways with Lockheed Martin for Future Weapon development (IMHO).
The potential markets are astounding for the Zenn electric drivetrain. As well as making a long range electric car a reality there are also plans to retrofit existing fleet vehicles.
If the target date can be met the Zenn Highway car will also beat the Chevy Volt with years to spare getting out to market.
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