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ZENN Motors Requests DOE Grant to Build US-based EEStor-Powered Electric Car Facility

 
15 6,363 views September 2, 2009

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Zenn Motors of Canada (ZNN.V) holds exclusive rights to build small electric cars using EEStor's forthcoming groundbreaking barium-based batteries. They also hold a 10% ownership stake in EEStor, Inc.

Though these EESUs have yet to be publicly demonstrated, EEStor has previously indicated it will present lab certification data and deliver production units by the end of this month, hopefully shedding light on nearly 10 years of research secrecy.

These EESUs are said to have several times the energy and power density of lithium ion batteries, are orders of magnitude cheaper to produce, and have a functionality unlimited lifetime.

The sleuths at the EEStor blog have uncovered information that Zenn Motors, through its US subsidiary Zenn America, has just recently submitted an unsolicited proposal to the US DOE requesting multi-million dollar funding to create an "ultra high energy drive applied research and development facility" in southeast Michigan.

The proposal was submitted on behalf of Zenn by Michigan Congressman Mark Schauer who discussed the matter with Energy Secretary Chu previously.

Senators Levin, and Stabenow, and Governor Granholm of Michigan also support the grant which could lead to the creation of 100 jobs. Senator Levin was said to have met with officials from Zenn and was "interested to learn about the electric vehicle technology they are working on."

A response from the DOE is expected to come later this month pending independent third party lab certification of the EESU technology and administrative review.

Source (TheEEStory)





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Comments (15)

  1. By Clint Posted: 9/2/2009 8:55am PDT

    The count down begins! 28.5 days left in September!
     
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  2. By Jason M. Hendler Posted: 9/2/2009 9:10am PDT

    This certainly continues to look like the real deal, until proven otherwise. I suspect the US government, through contacts with Lockheed Martin and General Motors, will thoroughly vet their request.
     
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  3. By IKnowASecret Posted: 9/2/2009 9:16am PDT

    One of Chu's scientific advisors specializes in ferroelectric materials which are key to Eestor's ultracapacitor or EESU. The advisor, prior to going on board with the DOE, felt that EESTOR's claims were not valid and at best were based on flawed science or were at worst, deliberately misleading. Additionally, he asked the basic questions of "where is the research and where is the peer reviewed data?". So far, there has been no published research, no peer reviews and most importantly, no actual working models, no demonstrations, no engineering units, no nothing - all of which are standard industry practices, even in the most competitive markets.
    If EESTOR and Zenn had anything of substance, they wouldn't need a grant - there would be PLENTY of VC types who would front this venture in exchange for stock or profit sharing agreement.
     
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  4. By consorts Posted: 9/2/2009 9:34am PDT

    Bloggers have created a fiction about some EESU September Demonstration, and now they are respinning old news stories to support their own fiction. I feel sorry for all the bagholders left in this stock when October comes and nothing happens - and you can't blame Zenn/EEstor since they NEVER said in any press release that any sort of Demo would take place in public or in private.
     
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  5. By Optimist Skeptic Posted: 9/2/2009 10:00am PDT

    IKnowASecret - I completely agree. EESTOR's practices are just plain weird and the science (what we know of it) seems sketchy at best. However, I can't help but hold a shred of hope that all this turns out to be real. If they end up coming out and saying "yeah, well sorry. It was all bogus", if would amount to such a monumental lie. Like Clint says: 28.5 days.....
     
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  6. By Baghead Brendan Posted: 9/2/2009 10:22am PDT

    Is Ian Clifford/Zenn now going to scam the US taxpayers?
    Lyle, do you remember this headline?
    "EEStor to Publicly Prove its Technology Imminently"?
    Do you remember the following Q & A with Ian Clifford?
    "So in 2010 certainly we should be able to see some of this?
    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 if in couple weeks EEStor is to deliver an EESU, and next year (2010) Zenn will "clearly demonstrate" the CityZenn to the world.
     
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  7. By Thomas Posted: 9/2/2009 10:48am PDT

    Why would Zenn seek venture capital at a time when the US government would gush all over itself to provide grant funds for eestor's technology? Venture capital? Now? Are you crazy???
     
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  8. By arturo123 Posted: 9/2/2009 12:11pm PDT

    unbelievable!!! secrecy? no working model? needs funding?... THIS IS FREAKIN' SCAM!!!!!!EESCAM that what it is...shit!
     
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  9. By ClearThinker Posted: 9/2/2009 12:32pm PDT

    IKnowASecret - "If EESTOR and Zenn had anything of substance, they wouldn't need a grant - there would be PLENTY of VC types who would front this venture in exchange for stock or profit sharing agreement."
    I have to disagree with this. Why would a company give up stock or profits to Vulture Capitalists when they could get the funding they need from a grant? The answer is: they wouldn't. EEStor may not have anything of substance, but trying for a grant says nothing about that.
     
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  10. By HockeyMom Posted: 9/3/2009 5:26am PDT

    I for one am really tired of do-nothing, wannabe, pseudo authorities, who rant on this post & have nothing better to do than pee on the flames of progress. Get a life you bunch of lazy hacks! Better yet, come up with an energy source more promising than EESTOR's. Otherwise, shut yer yaps!
     
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  11. By Baghead Brendan Posted: 9/3/2009 7:22am PDT

    #10
    "come up with an energy source more promising than EESTOR's"
    Really, what is so promising about EEStor? According to the blogger with the bag over his head Dick Weir/EEStor has been "promising" something the last 18 years but haven't delivered anything.
     
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  12. By JUNJOBX2199 Posted: 9/5/2009 9:03am PDT

    While I'm hopeful that this will be a major breakthrough. I reserve the right to be sceptical based on the time length that has elapsed since we have first learned about this possibly technology. To those who feel this is a scam , well lets just say that defrauding investors and a defense contractor would come with a jail term that I'm sure any person would be fearful of. If anything the results of yield are not as large as they would have hoped and are now trying to amp up the voltage ,so to speak. I think the involvement of a failed EV venture CEO lends a certain amount of shadiness to the situation , because he's not going to do anything to hurt his stock prices or future profits weather they be for what was advertised or a lesser product that will still be usable in certain application (Power tools, Lap tops). Like they said "Show me the money"!
     
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  13. By NaysayersAreLiars Posted: 9/6/2009 12:50pm PDT

    IKnowASecret: If you google ferroelectics and scientific advisor you don't land on anything that supports your claim that a mystery advisor to chu badmouthed EEStor. This sounds like a made up story by someone desperate to discredit EEStor in a way only slightly more sophisticated than Aaron and ESNPY...who have both posted above too. LEWZERZ!!!
     
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  14. By TV321 Posted: 9/8/2009 4:29am PDT

    22 days left in September!
     
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  15. By Alan Posted: 10/11/2009 7:21pm PDT

    Given that the EEStor battery has been promised as just months away on multiple occasions over the last 5 years, I think a healthy level of skepticism is warranted.
    Second, if they have a product that can even remotely deliver on what has been promised then funding will be a non-issue. As described, this product would change the energy equation world-wide not only for transportation but for industrial scale energy storage as well.'
    If it's real it's worth trillions of dollars. If it's not real then they might go around begging for investors.
     
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