Did EEStor Certify its EESU in September?
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We follow EEStor developments closely because if their technology comes to fruition it would radically and rapidly revolutionize the electrification of the automobile. Their unique technology capacitor-based battery, in theory, is far more energy dense and low weight than lithium ion , is cheap to produce out of unlimited natural resources, suffers no degradation, and can be recharged in minutes.
As great as this technology sounds, it has never been proven nor demonstrated in working form.
The world waits for this moment. So does Zenn Motors, a Toronto-based EV firm that is 10.7% owner of EEStor and has based its entire future and business plan on receipt of production EESUs. In fact, Zenn recently announced they would only be selling EEStor drivetrains to other manufacturers, and won't even build EVs themselves, though they do make low volume of low speed neighborhood EVs.
The CEO of Zenn Motors Ian Clifford had previously told AllCarsElectric.com "this September EEStor has stated that they will be certifying at-voltage components which actually are build capacitors off their production facility," and in a leaked audio interview EEStor founder Dick Weir said "we've told the world that you can anticipate us being in a pre-production mode of ESUs by the 4'th quarter this year (2009)."
So here we are in the 4th quarter. Did EEStor have their EESU or a functional component certified as achieving its stated goals?
Zenn spokesperson Catherine Scrimgeor told us, " EEStor stated that they anticipated completing component testing in September. This is not a formal milestone per our Technology Agreement. It is up to EEStor to announce any additional achievements or progress outside of the formal milestones outlined in the technology agreement."
OK so EEStor could have done it but not announced it.
The company did announce earlier this year that the specialized barium titanate powder they would be using in the EESU achieved its goal permittivity at low voltage. For that test they used a nearby company called Texas Research International and it was performed by scientist Dr. Ed Golla. It might be that if EEStor were to certify a full EESU or functional component they might use the same firm and scientist.
I reached out to Dr. Golla to find out.
He said "No. I have not been involved in any testing since the permittivity testing at low voltage."
He added, "I would be very interested in the outcome of any such testing."
Wouldn't we all.
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Have an opinion?Join the conversation!
By Baghead Dick Posted: 10/1/2009 7:35am PDT
He doesn't owe anyone anything including Ian, or Baghead.
By Desertstraw Posted: 10/1/2009 7:52am PDT
By Rashiid Amul Posted: 10/1/2009 9:31am PDT
But I just see this guys being for real.
By Rashiid Amul Posted: 10/1/2009 9:32am PDT
I don't see these guys being for real.
By arturo123 Posted: 10/1/2009 9:41am PDT
By The P.E. Posted: 10/1/2009 10:20am PDT
I, like others, am looking forward to serving the crow when the announcement is made. The permittivity results, verified by several, stand unchallenged in their authenticity. Everything else is just minor details.
By StephenB Posted: 10/1/2009 11:06am PDT
By KeepingonHoping Posted: 10/1/2009 12:08pm PDT
And yet, I've invested a small (pretty darned small) sum of cash in Zenn. Why?! Because if it DOES work, that small sum could end up putting my kids through college. If it doesn't, I won't lose the house :)
Also, I REALLY REALLY want this to work. Imagine charging your laptop or cell phone in 20 or 30 seconds instead of several hours. Imagine feasible renewable energy, stored in EESU's when the wind isn't blowing or the sun shining. Imagine fast, light, simple automobiles, that charge quickly and run quietly. No more smog!!
It's worth the leap of faith.
By John Posted: 10/1/2009 12:09pm PDT
EEStor has never built a single capacitor of any kind. They have purified their powders. But they are not selling powders, they are selling capacitors.
Like the alchemists who promised to turn lead into gold, EEStor has been full of promise. They pursue patents. They purify powders. But they don't produce product.
Sad to see Ian Clifford broke and ZENN collapsed. But they were foolish to spend their money on EEStor. They have no one to blame but themselves.
By omnimoeish Posted: 10/1/2009 12:23pm PDT
By KeepingonHoping Posted: 10/1/2009 12:33pm PDT
Still, Ford went broke three times before he made it. Someone kept the faith and gave him his fourth shot.
Low voltage permittivity tests also mean NOTHING. Everything changes when those voltages get ramped up. It doesn't scale linearly.
Still if it works, I'll get my money back PLUS. If it fails, at least the cash wasn't thrown away supporting some rich banking exec. I might as well "donate" a few dollars to the cause as it were...
By Jennifer Posted: 10/1/2009 1:19pm PDT
By eightjon Posted: 10/1/2009 1:50pm PDT
http://theeestory.com/topics/3532
for an argument that claims no actual promise to certify in September. Seems to contradict Lyle (?) or maybe not (?)
By tsport100 Posted: 10/1/2009 3:21pm PDT
By E. P. Posted: 10/2/2009 5:56am PDT
I, like others, am looking forward to serving the crow to Baghead and his believers when nothing is revealed and Zenn stock goes down to ZERO. The permittivity results was BS because Dick did not pay Doctor Golla, and the same Doctor Golla was used to verify Zenn's "3rd party verification". As you can see everything is just full of BS with Dick Weir/EESCam.
By by Posted: 10/2/2009 4:07pm PDT
By Baghead Dick Posted: 10/3/2009 9:55am PDT
Yes we have heard that. We have heard a lot from Dick Weir/EESTor the last 8 years since EEStor was incorporated, but not one single product meeting Dick Weir/EEStor's claim has been manufactured and or verified by an independent third party.
By ptobe Posted: 10/3/2009 2:25pm PDT
"by" - a spokesperson from UL confirmed that a request had been made to certify something from EESTor.
"E.P" - I call 'bull'. I don't believe you've ever spoken to Dick Weir and if you did, I find absolutely fantastic (def: bizarre or exotic; seeming more appropriate to a fairy tale than to reality or practical use ) that he said what you claim he said.
Are we to believe that you - an anonymous poster on a blog who is surely of no consequence to Dick Weir, EESTor or any related company - are the only person on earth to whom he has made the claim that "prototypes have been built, tested and certified"? And that he made that claim "several times"?
Bull.
By Winston Churchill Posted: 10/5/2009 5:37am PDT
You must be member of the communist eesu party. It is obvious you only question E.P.'s post #15 but not your fellow comrade's BS #6 post by "The P.E.".
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