AutoblogGreen

EEStor and ZENN still alive and kicking... out the press releases

Domenick Yoney — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:55:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, ZENN, USA

Zenn Motor Company, the former purveyor of a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV), and Eestor, the eternal purveyor of promises of a supercapacitor-based energy storage unit, have managed to defy at least one of the predictions hurled their way. The two intertwined companies have survived.

Despite the loss of its CEO a year ago, Zenn has been idling along, putting out mundane press releases about its financial maneuverings. Eestor, as is its custom, has remained mostly quiet. Until now. Both companies have issued announcements that are sure to excite the handful of people who still believe they will achieve the energy storage breakthrough that we first heard about in 2006.

Zenn's missive is mostly about a ~~doubling~~ sextupling down on its Eestor relationship, upping the ante to $30.5 million and receiving, in return, all rights to supply eventual energy-storing product regardless of territory or vehicle type.

For its part, the Eestor statement concerns technological developments. Apparently, the company has now successfully manufactured 20 micron-thick voidless squares of material capable of handling more than 3,500 volts that have "a dc resistance of greater than 700 terra ohms" (mmm... terra ohms... mmm). While this obviously sounds very impressive, the company warns that the aforementioned layers "do not yet achieve the level of permittivity necessary for commercial production." They are working on that though.

For all the pertinent details, you can check out both official press releases by scrolling down below.

Continue reading EEStor and ZENN still alive and kicking... out the press releases

EEStor and ZENN still alive and kicking... out the press releases originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 18 May 2012 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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"Little Zenn Car" song gives old NEV new life

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:47:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, ZENN, Videos

Seattle-area musician Deb Seymour is kind of in love with her all-electric car. In fact, we don't think we've ever heard of a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) driver who's been more public about his or her affection for their little runabout. Seymour recently posted her song "Little Zenn Car" to YouTube and it's surprisingly simple and fun. The song doesn't try to be too serious. How can it be when it's an ode with lyrics like, "Little Zenn Car rocks my world, she's a carbon-free, green-wheeling girl" or "Well, you say you drive a Prius, you're still using gas"?

To be clear - as the end credits specify - Seymour knows that Zenn NEVs aren't even made any more, and she's not trying to shill for the company. The video says:

This video was made for love, not money, and was not commissioned or endorsed by the Zenn Motor Company. Deb Seymour is not a paid employee of official spokesperson for the company. She just likes her car a whole lot.

We're glad to hear it. You can watch the video after the jump and download the track from Seymour's Urban Folkerista website until the end of the month.

Continue reading "Little Zenn Car" song gives old NEV new life

"Little Zenn Car" song gives old NEV new life originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AltCar 2011: Electric Mobile Cars is all crunked up with three fleet models

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Santa Monica Alt Car Expo, ZENN

It's been a while since an all-electric truck has been for sale in the U.S. (RIP, Ford Ranger EV), so perhaps a zero-emission crunk is just what the market is waiting for. Electric Mobile Cars will soon find out, now that it is taking orders (fleets only) for its converted E36T (pictured).

EMC will sell three all-electric models, all with similar names: a passenger wagon (the E36, which sells for $39,300), a utility vehicle (the $38,300 E36V) and the E36T ($37,300). The truck is a converted Renault/Dacia Logan Pickup, which was introduced in Romania in 2008.

EMC says all three have a top speed of over 75 mph and a range of "up to 200 miles" using the company's EVBX-1 powertrain. This all-electric propulsion system is powered by 57-kWh worth of adapted ZEBRA batteries, and we have to say that these numbers are awful impressive. EMC's David Taylor told AutoblogGreen at the 2011 AltCar Expo in Santa Monica, CA, this weekend that the low-cost, long-range secret is the car's battery management system. The details are proprietary, but Taylor said the general idea is that the system can accept a higher regenerative brake energy level than other packs and the battery is able to recoup a "minute" amount of the heat expelled from the battery when it is in use. Will all this bear out on the road? We'll be watching.

Bill Williams, who used to be vice president of sales of ZENN, is now director of West Coast sales for EMC, and told AutoblogGreen that EMC is dedicating its efforts to fleet sales because that is how it can provide better service. All three models are available now, and Taylor said that the first deliveries are due by the end of October. The vehicles are available to fleets nationwide and the prices listed above are GSA pricing.

AltCar 2011: Electric Mobile Cars is all crunked up with three fleet models originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZENN CEO Brian Cott quits; company looks to trim operations, cut costs

Eric Loveday — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:07:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, ZENN

Back on February 14th, Ian Clifford stepped down from his role as chief executive officer of ZENN Motor Company, Inc. Clifford, who founded ZENN back in 2001, did not completely leave the company. Rather, he assumed the position of vice chairman of ZENN's board of directors. Brian Cott, who joined the company back in 2006, replaced Clifford as ZENN's president and CEO.

Now, it's Brian Cott who's stepping down. On Monday, ZENN announced that Cott will resign as the firm looks to pare back operations to cut costs, according to Ward's Auto (sub. req.). ZENN says that it will name a replacement CEO "in the near future."

Many investors in ZENN are fed up after years of waiting for word of a breakthrough on that mythical EEStor ultracapacitor technology. Even so, ZENN says that it intends to make a "strong relationship" with EEStor its priority, while cutting back on its other operations, including developing drive systems for electric vehicles.

[Source: Ward's Auto - sub. req.]

ZENN CEO Brian Cott quits; company looks to trim operations, cut costs originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 17 May 2011 10:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZENN CEO Ian Clifford resigns, Brian Cott assumes position

Eric Loveday — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:05:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, ZENN

Effective February 14th, Ian Clifford stepped down from his role as chief executive officer of ZENN Motor Company, Inc. Clifford, who founded ZENN back in 2001, has no intentions of completely leaving company and will immediately assume the position of vice chairman of ZENN's board of directors.

Clifford summed up the reasoning behind his resignation, stating:

The purpose of this transition is twofold. Firstly, this makes sense in the context of our focus to preserve cash and I am pleased that my move can contribute towards this objective. Secondly, and most importantly, it allows me to remain dedicated to positively maintaining our key relationship with our technology partner, EEStor, Inc. I take great pride in the company that we have built and look forward to the opportunity to focus on strategic initiatives.

Brian Cott, who joined ZENN back in 2006 and served as the company's chief operating officer, has been selected to replace Clifford as ZENN's president and CEO. Also, we're still anxiously awaiting something - anything - on the EEStor front. Let's just say we gave up holding our breath quite some time ago. Hat tip to Bret!

[Source: ZENN Motor Company]

Continue reading ZENN CEO Ian Clifford resigns, Brian Cott assumes position

ZENN CEO Ian Clifford resigns, Brian Cott assumes position originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZENN's not dead, baby, it's taking EEStor to China

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:50:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, ZENN

It's been a while (five months, to be precise) since we wrote about ZENN, the small Canadian ~~automaker~~ powertrain maker that had hoped to change the world through that mythical EEStor ultracapacitor technology. Well, the company has ended its silence with an email newsletter and the news is modest - and there's only one mention of EEStor.

ZENN representatives have been busy doing what a company that wants to sell its ZENNergy Drive components should do: go make contacts. ZENN Motor Company president and chief operating Officer Brian Cott went to Shenzhen, China to speak at a car-centric "Invest in Canada" event and he found "an industry 'primed' for the best enabling technology that will transform electric vehicles from 'alternative' to mainstream," in the words of Ian Clifford, ZENN's chief executive officer. Clifford also wrote:

As part of its go-to-market strategy, ZMC has been cultivating relationships with OEMs globally. Our contacts at these OEMs are closely watching ZMC's and EEStor's progress as they are keenly aware of the significant advantages and differentiation inherent in deploying our technology and solutions. Given the sheer size and potential of the Chinese automotive market alone, it is a market that the Company will continue to pay close attention to.

You can find the entire newsletter after the jump.

[Source: ZENN]

Continue reading ZENN's not dead, baby, it's taking EEStor to China

ZENN's not dead, baby, it's taking EEStor to China originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Surprised? Zenn Motors stock not so hot after tie-up with EEStor

Eric Loveday — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:50:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in, ZENN, Green Daily

Back in September, Zenn Motors announced an "updated business strategy" that included a new focus we'd call questionable at best and disastrous at its worst. Zenn's new strategy was to abandon any efforts to actually make vehicles and turn its entire attention to that mythical EEStor ultracapacitor technology. Now, it's not like Zenn Motors was abandoning a highly lucrative business, but the company had managed to cut out a small market of buyers for its electric vehicles (EVs).

Seeking something better, Zenn shifted all of its efforts over to EEStor's amazing ultracapacitor technology, even though some people think it's quite possible that no such ultracapacitor exists. Trading EVs for vaporware has taken its toll on Zenn's stock prices. Since the September announcement, stock prices for Zenn have fallen from a high of $6 to its current price of just south of $2 and the damage may not be over yet as the downward trend shows no signs of stopping. For Zenn, the release of EEStor's ultracapacitor can't come soon enough. That is, if it ever comes at all.

[Source: Darryl Siry]

Surprised? Zenn Motors stock not so hot after tie-up with EEStor originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM: Volt plus EEStor could work ... if EESU worked

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, ZENN

2011 Chevy Volt - Click above for high-res image gallery

There are 16 days left in the month of December. Besides being time for most Americans to kick their Christmas shopping sessions into high gear and start planning their resolutions for 2010, it also means that there's precious little time for EEStor to "deliver functional technology" to Zenn Motors as promised.

Still, the promises held out by the secretive company are too great for us to forget about entirely. We'd love for EEStor's claims to be independently verified and proven accurate, as would just about anyone else looking to break free of petroleum in favor of electric vehicles, and that includes those waiting patiently for General Motors to put the Chevy Volt on the market.

This raises an interesting question: Could General Motors install EEStor's energy storage unit in the Volt? According to Volt vehicle line chief Tony Posawatz, it could happen, though "it would take couple of years." We certainly hope you're not holding your breath.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: GM-Volt.com]

GM: Volt plus EEStor could work ... if EESU worked originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How can EEStor be valued at $1.5 billion?

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:51:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, ZENN

We've long given up on waiting for announcements from EEStor (and, to a lesser degree, their partner ZENN) to come true. But, with the latest move by ZENN to drop their plans to launch the cityZENN high-speed electric car and will instead focus on becoming a supplier of ZENNergy Drive electric vehicle drivetrain components - ZENN's low-speed vehicles (pictured) have also been curtailed - the reality is that ZENN and EEStor are tied at the hip. As our friend Darryl Siry writes over at Autopia points out, the bond between these two companies means that speculative investors have raised EEStor's value to more than $1.5 billion. That's a huge chunk of change for a company that hasn't allowed independent media verification of its claims for the ultracapacitor technology that supposedly can move an electric car 300 miles on a charge and recharges quickly. Head on over to Autopia to see how ZENN's stock price is driving up the value of EEStor, but isn't shining a light on what is actually happening over there.

[Source: Autopia]

How can EEStor be valued at $1.5 billion? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Zenn cancels plans for high-speed EV, will focus on supplying ZENNergy Drive components

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:05:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, ZENN

According to reports from Reuters and GM-Volt.com, Zenn Motors has canceled plans to launch its cityZENN high-speed electric car and will slow down work on its low-speed EVs. According to Zenn Chief Executive Ian Clifford, the company will focus its efforts on becoming a supplier of ZENNergy Drive electric vehicle drivetrain components, which we assume will center around the EEStor energy storage system. Why the change in plans?

Our decisions regarding cityZENN continue to evolve in response to advancements in electric vehicle deployment across the industry since we announced cityZENN a couple of years ago... Integration of ZENNergy Drive in Tier 1 and OEM product has always been our long term objective. The cityZENN program was always designed as a proof of concept for ZENNergy Drive.

According to Clifford, EEStor still plans to perform component testing in September (which at this point is nearly over), though it (surprise!) won't necessarily publish the results of its findings. The next step would be to "deliver functional technology" to Zenn by the end of 2009. We're waiting... still.

[Source: GM-Volt.com, Reuters]

REPORT: Zenn cancels plans for high-speed EV, will focus on supplying ZENNergy Drive components originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: public demonstrations of EESTOR's sectretive EESU next month?

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, ZENN

Last month, we got a glimpse inside EEStor's ultracapacitor progress thanks to a leaked audio clip - admittedly, possibly on purpose - of someone interviewing EEStor CEO Dick Weir. At that time, Weir said that the EESU packs would be coming soon and promised demonstrations for 2010. We might not have to wait even that long for some sort of non-PR proof that the ultracaps work. According to All Cars Electric, EEStor has said, "they will prove their technology to the world by the end of September, slightly more than one month from now." We're marking this in our calendars using pencil.

Another bit of news from the audio tape that has since been confirmed is that Polarity Inc. of Rancho Cordova, California, is putting the EESUs (energy storage units) together for ZENN's upcoming EV. Polarity Inc.'s website states:

2009 Awarded contract from EESTOR to integrate Polarity's high power HV to LV converter into EESTOR's EESU that will be used in Zenn Motor Company's small to medium size electric car

[Source: All Cars Electric]

REPORT: public demonstrations of EESTOR's sectretive EESU next month? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EEStor information overload (not a typo) in leaked interview with CEO Dick Weir

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:09:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, ZENN

For about six hours recently, a leaked (we assume it was leaked) audiotape of someone speaking with EEStor CEO Dick Weir was available on Yahoo! video. Before the video was yanked, enterprising electric car fans managed to record the audio and have made it available around the net. What's amazing about this audio recording - and our knowledgable friends at EVCast vouch for its authenticity - is that for the first time, Weir is actually forthcoming with details about his company's EESU and what will happen with the product in the very near future. Here are the highlights:

EEStor's contract with ZENN is for energy units that cost "$100 / kWh, excluding electronics." This is very cheap, and Weir says that, "nobody is going to compete with us. Certainly not lithium ion."
EEStor has produced "tens of thousands of grams" of the powder needed for the EESUs, what Weir calls "a huge amount."
A company called Polarity, in California, is building the circuits that will be used in the ZENN cars. Polarity is making circuits for "other customers," but ZENN gets them first.
EEStor is "dealing a lot with people in the electrical vehicle business."
"I'm really in deep with Lockheed Martin. And here's what Lockheed Martin told everybody: 'We can't guarantee this works but we can't find reason why it won't work.'"
Weir believes EEStor will be "the greatest capacitor company in the world"
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers owns about 20 percent of EEStor, and EEStor's founders still have a controlling interest in the company.
ZENN's next investment round will be around $75-$80 million.
Weir said that his EESU's will help buffer the U.S. electric grid in a big way. "Not only are we going to give the electric vehicle market a boost but also give them the energy to run it... We make wind and solar real. If you take our batteries and those with wind and solar, what you do is amortize out the variations and make it highly stablized. You can make a wind farm look just like a coal fired plant with our batteries. And make it very cost effective."

You can read a transcript of the conversation here and listen to the full interview here.

Recently, ZENN's Ian Clifford gave an interview with GM-Volt that said the EESU packs would be coming soon and he promised, "absolutely," that demonstrations will take place in 2010. The unverified numbers we've seen about the EESU is that it could be a 52kwh pack that provides a 250-mile range. So, do you think the audio is a true leak and we're finally getting the inside scoop on EEStor or is this just more hype maintenance?

[Source: The EEStory]

EEStor information overload (not a typo) in leaked interview with CEO Dick Weir originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EESTor update from ZENN CEO Ian Clifford; demonstrations coming in 2010

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, ZENN

EEStor, the company behind the ultralight, ultra-efficient - and ultra secret - EEStor Electrical Energy Storage Units (EESU) that could change the electric car world, still isn't giving out much information about their product. But Ian Clifford, the CEO of Zenn Motors, is talking.

First, some numbers. The EESU could be a 52kwh pack that provides a 250-mile range and only weigh 280 pounds. ZENN now owns 10.7 percent of EEStor, up from 3.8 percent. Thanks to EEStor's recent permittivity announcements, ZENN has paid EEStor another $700,000.

Now, the intangibles. Clifford told GM-Volt.com that he sees the EESU prototypes "on a regular basis" and is waiting for a production prototype to be delivered by the end of this year. Clifford said that there is a "full production facility" at EEStor's pilot production plant. Possible in-vehicle application of the EESU could be around 600V, which Clifford says, "increases the drive efficiency, it makes the components somewhat smaller, and ultimately less expensive and obviously for mass commercialization." He couldn't say if he's actually seen one of the production EESU's, claiming non-disclosure agreements. He did promise, "absolutely," that demonstrations will take place in 2010. Read more at GM-Volt.com.

If nothing else, this is all good hype maintenance. Thanks to Gordon S. for the tip!

[Source: GM-Volt.com]

EESTor update from ZENN CEO Ian Clifford; demonstrations coming in 2010 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZENN: Trust us, the EESTOR thing is totally cool, like $700,000 cool

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:46:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, ZENN

Hype maintenance can be hard work. Following the Earth Day announcement that the EEStor ultracapacitor had passed independent tests that showed it had a relative permittivity of 22,500, the automaker most closely tied to the secretive company, ZENN, has come out to say two things. First, the test results have been verified. There are a whole heap of details on the verification process in the release after the jump. Second, ZENN says that the results mean it will pay EEStor another $700,000 U.S. "in accordance with the Technology Agreement between the two companies." Michael Bergeron, VP of Engineering at ZENN, said that the results mean that the EEStor Electrical Energy Storage Units (EESU) will work even better in the upcoming ZENNergy drivetrains. For the full hype (trust me, there's a lot), click past the jump. Wonder why hype maintenance is a good idea? See the stock price jump up.

[Source: ZENN]

Continue reading ZENN: Trust us, the EESTOR thing is totally cool, like $700,000 cool

ZENN: Trust us, the EESTOR thing is totally cool, like $700,000 cool originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 21 May 2009 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bikes vs. cars race ends in decisive two-wheeled victory

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:19:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Hybrid, Toyota, ZENN, On Two Wheels, Green Daily

What does it take to beat a Zenn electric car and a Toyota Prius in cross-town driving? A pair of wheels and some leg-power. In the sixth annual Commuter Race in San Jose, California, all the bikes - a standard bike, a tandem and a hybrid bike - beat the two cars in a treasure hunt-style race through town. The riders and drivers were asked to perform a few tasks (get a pastry at one shop, an apple at another), and see who could make it to the finish line first. The event took place Tuesday and the fastest bike completed the route in 22 minutes; the fastest car (the Zenn) took 42 minutes.

Granted, the contest is set up by Bike to Work, whose name should give you a pretty good idea of which type of vehicle they promote. But cars have won in previous years, so we can't blame the organizers for totally stacking the challenge in favor of cyclists. For a first-person account of how bikes can beat cars, see the Mercury News.

[Source: Mercury News via Kicking Tires]

Bikes vs. cars race ends in decisive two-wheeled victory originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 15 May 2009 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EEStor "permittivity" follow-up, by someone who knows (Daryl Siry)

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:33:00 EST

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, ZENN, Green Daily

Following EEStor's permittivity announcement on Earth Day last week, I wrote a post that ended with a call for our readers to determine if the stated "relative permittivity of 22,500" was a big deal or not. There were some educated responses (thank you), but one refrain that kept appearing was that everyone is waiting for a real and physical demonstration of the company's supposedly amazing ultracapacitor. "Until then," some of you wrote, "stfu EEStor."

Our friend Darryl Siry, who knows a thing or two about massaging the green car press from his time at Tesla Motors (pictured above) and now runs his own blog and works at Peppercom, has a phrase for what EEStor is doing with their steady trickle of mysterious press releases: "Hype Maintenance." Siry recently wrote about two people, including ZENN's Ian Clifford, who should be able to share information about EEStor but either don't or can't. The EV community is poorer for it, but, Siry notes, ZENN's stock shot up 45 percent on the day of EEStor's announcement. That's something we can all understand.

[Source: Darryl Siry]

EEStor "permittivity" follow-up, by someone who knows (Daryl Siry) originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZENN tries to boost EV market with under $10k NEV

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:56:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, ZENN

Those of you with an interest in electrically-driven transportation who don't need a full function car may want to check out the latest deal from Canadian company ZENN. The ZENN electric car can be had for just $9,995 until the end of June. ZENN is looking for early adopters to be ambassadors for it's products - in return they get a $4,750 rebate off the $15,995 sticker price.

On top of that buyers, are currently eligible for a $1,250 federal tax credit in the United States bringing the bottom line to just $9,995. Before you rush to one of the 40 ZENN dealers in the U.S., keep in mind that this is a neighborhood electric vehicle. That means it's limited to just 25 mph. It is legal to operate on city streets with speed limits up to 35 mph. If that limitation works within you needs, the ZENN may be a good deal for you.

[Source: ZENN]

Continue reading ZENN tries to boost EV market with under $10k NEV

ZENN tries to boost EV market with under $10k NEV originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ZENN picks manufacturer for cityZENN highway-speed electric vehicle

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:16:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, ZENN

How does this make sense: ZENN recently announced that company officials had selected a manufacturer to produce a highway-speed electric vehicle, called the cityZENN. Following this, ZENN's stock fell three percent. You'd think people would be happy with an announcement like that.

As always, there are problems and questions with ZENN's story. This is the much-hyped EESTOR vehicle, after all. While the announcement could be the big step towards ZENN's promise last year that they'd deliver an EESTOR-powered electric vehicle by Fall 2009 that the company needs to get out from under questions about the technology, investors must be waiting for more show, less tell. Another reason for the less-than-enthusiastic stock response is that ZENN didn't announce the name of the manufacturer, saying it would wait until the agreement is finalized. We recently got a few hints about the technology thanks to the EESTOR patent, but it looks like we'll have to keep waiting for the real deal.

[Source: Reuters]

ZENN picks manufacturer for cityZENN highway-speed electric vehicle originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVCast offers up panel of "experts" to take your electric car questions tomorrow

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:40:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, ZENN, Green Daily

If you'd like to listen to a sort of state of the electric vehicle industry panel discussion, tune in to the EVCast tomorrow. The live show (which will be available later as a podcast and for download) starts at 1:30 Eastern (10:30 am Pacific) on Tuesday. Listeners can tune send in questions and comments on the EVcast.com chat board (free membership is required to participate). The panel will discuss the following topics:

$25 billion in waiting for EV development. Who should get it and why?
Has hydrogen as an automotive fuel gone the way of the dinosaur?
What does the chaos of the US auto industry mean for the up and coming EV industry?
Mileage Tax: Sensible or not?

As a side note: the reason for the quotes on the headline above is that for some reason I'm included in the EVCast panel. I'm still not sure how much of an expert I am, but I want to make it clear that I'm not slighting the others who are scheduled to appear on the show: Ian Clifford, our old friend and CEO of ZENN, and Gint Federas, an EVCast member. I just hope they don't ask me to sing.

[Source: EVcast]

EVCast offers up panel of "experts" to take your electric car questions tomorrow originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What is a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV)?

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, American Electric Vehicle, GEM, ZENN, NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle), Greenlings

We all want electric vehicles that we can afford. Unfortunately the only full function electric car "available on the market" in the United States right now is the Tesla Roadster. However even before car loans became hard to get, the Roadster was largely unaffordable. So, what other options are there? For now at least the only option is the neighborhood electric vehicle, also known as NEVs.

These are not exactly full function vehicles. In fact, most NEVs are considered little more than glorified golf carts. By law in the United States, NEVs are limited to no more than 25 mph (although a few locations are looking to increase that to 35 mph). NEVs are covered by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 500 which limits the maximum loaded weight to 3,000 lbs. According to FMVSS 500, an NEV has to be able to get to 20 mph within 1 mile, must have head and tail lights and a windshield, among other things. Learn more about NEVs after the jump.

Gallery: AFVI 2008: GEM's new cargo options

Continue reading What is a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV)?

What is a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV)? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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