EEStor Backer Zenn Motor Seeks DOE Funds to Build in Michigan
Canada’s Zenn Motor has its eye on Michigan and funding from the U.S. government to develop electric cars using energy storage startup EEStor’s controversial ultracapacitor technology. According to a letter (dated June 29) from Congressman Mark Schauer, which was posted late yesterday on TheEEStory.com, Zenn’s U.S. division, ZMC America, proposes to create a research and development facility “to enable the rapid commercialization of next generation electric vehicles with extensive on-board power storage,” and is seeking Department of Energy funds to support the project.
Zenn has plenty of company, of course, in the quest for Department of Energy funds. And the proposal described in Schauer’s letter is hardly the first energy storage and electric vehicle development project to win support from a Michigan lawmaker (according to the Barium Titanate blog, other lawmakers are also showing support for EEStor). The state is competing against Kentucky, EEStor’s home state of Texas, and other states in a high stakes battle to become the future hub of U.S. battery manufacturing.
The R&D facility Zenn has in mind for DOE funds would initially create only up to 100 research, administrative, electrical, mechanical and software engineering jobs in Michigan, according to Schauer’s letter, but the Congressman says those jobs are “badly needed.” He also says the project “could provide significant secondary OEM and electric drive component manufacturing job creation opportunities for the future.”
One thing is sure: Securing DOE funds represents only one of many hurdles to commercialization for EEStor and Zenn. It was a risky bet for Zenn to invest in EEStor, which has made bold claims (10 times the energy of lead-acid batteries at one-tenth the weight and half the price, and move a car 400 kilometers after a 5-minute charge) and slipped behind on production timelines, delaying introduction of the Canada automaker’s planned cityZenn model.
Ultimately, Zenn wants to package EEStor’s ultracapacitors into an ubiquitous drive system, Clifford told us at the Fortune Brainstorm Green conference this year. He envisions the company following the “Intel Inside” model, supplying a range of automakers and grid operators with energy storage technology. If the company manages to get all the technology in line to actually pursue that goal, then being in Michigan could certainly help. We’ve contacted Rep. Schauer’s office for comment and will update this post when we hear back.
Is Ian Clifford/Zenn now going to scam the US taxpayers?
Ian Clifford did a Q and A with Dr. Lyle of GM-Volt.com on July 20, 2009 titled “EEStor to Publicly Prove its Technology Imminently”?
http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/1034854_zenn-motors-requests-doe-grant-to-build-us-based-eestor-powered-electric-car-facility#comments
Q-Dr. Lyle:
“So in 2010 certainly we should be able to see some of this?
A-Ian Clifford:
“Yes, absolutely. It will be clearly be demonstrated around the world in 2010 and commercialization is really just a question of how quickly EEStor ramps. We believe well be able to sell everything they can produce. There’s no question there.”
Why the hell would Zenn need any DOE grant for research if in couple weeks EEStor is to deliver an EESU, and next year (2010) Zenn will “clearly demonstrate” the CityZenn to the world? Did Ian lie to Dr. Lyle?
Not a penny of US taxpayer funds should be used for Zenn research.
Does seem a bit fishy
If they were actually building multiple variants for different customers needs. They would need huge R&D resources.
This is all BS anyhow. The technology if it actually exists is so early stage and hasn’t yet been reliability tested. iT is years from mass production.
Do wish they would come clean ASAP. If this is crapolla. Clifford should be executed.
It’s about maximizing profits – which is ultimately the goal of every for-profit corporation. If free government money is available for facilities that means better margins at the end of the day.
ZMC America? Is there such an entity? Is someone trying to create hysteria – maybe to drive up Zenn’s stock so they can cash out? I agree… This sounds a bit too fishy.
Zenn Motors is not a car mfgr, they’re a bankrupt printing company. The only product Zenn Motors will ever produce is pr’s which they use to sell their product. Their product is stock they print on their laser printer, which is then sold by buckshops like Paradog Capital. This latest PR is part of the ongoing Zenn hype produced by Paradog who did the secondary stock offering for Zenn. Google “Pump-n-dump” for more info on this project.
22 days left in September!