Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Zenn Motors on EEStor Announcement

I spoke to Ian Clifford this afternoon. At the time, he had not read the EEStor announcement but said ZENN was working on their own release regarding the announcement which may be out later this evening. As long as he's not swamped dealing with the battle with Ontario, we'll speak again tommorrow. The battle is also covered here and here. What would you like me to ask him? Don't go crazy...it'll be a brief phone call, I'm sure.

32 comments:

Marcus said...

Has he SEEN a working prototype in ACTION?

steve said...

(This just in... a new "Buy recommendation" by a 4 star rated fund manager.)

Aecon and Zenn – Mesburis' Manager Picks

Posted: July 29, 2008, 4:30 PM by David Pett
Market Call, Manager picks

Manager: Paul Mesburis, Mavrix Fund Management
Style: Growth and value
Fund: Mavrix Sierra Equity
Strategy: All capitalization, bottom up focus. Integrating environmental, social and governance factors with fundamental investment analysis.

Buy recommendations:

Aecon Group Inc.
ProMetic Life Sciences Inc.
Zenn Motor Company Inc...

Commentary:...

"Zenn Motors is targeting the launch of cityZENN, an all-electric (zero emission), highway capable vehicle powered by EEStor in the fall of 2009. EEStor’s energy device, the EESU, possesses characteristics that are transformational for the auto industry and the environment – the cityZENN is planned to be a fully certified, highway capable vehicle with a top speed of 125 km/h and a range of 400 km. The car will be rechargeable in 5 minutes if it is charged with another EEStor device and feature an operating cost that is 90% less than a conventional car. Zenn Motors is awaiting third party accreditation from EEStor in the fall of 2008, which is the most critical element that the entire battery industry is focused. Zenn Motors has exclusive global rights to EEStor’s EESU for all vehicles under 1,400 kg (excluding battery weight) and has a 3.8% equity ownership interest in EEStor...

One-year return: -1.7%
Three-year return: 11.6%
(Through June 30, 2008)

Morningstar rating: Four star

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/tradingdesk/archive/2008/07/29/aecon-and-zenn-mesburis-manager-picks.aspx

steve said...

Zenn is one of the top 10 stocks held by the "Mavrix Sierra Fund".

Check it out:

Top 10 Equity Holdings

7 Zenn Motor Co. Inc. 3.4%


Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first pure "BUY" recomendation for ZNN I've seen. The others, ie Versant, were "speculative Buy".

http://www.mavrixfunds.com/mavdev/en/products/funds/M_Sierra.aspx

nekote said...

A123 is booking deposits for their (so called) 5 KWH Prius (2004 - 2008 models) battery upgrade.
$10,400 or so, installed.
A123 Hymotion L5 Range Extender

Very, very, very sexy 3D animation, with wonderful "exploded" interior views showing gangs of lithium batteries, and more.
3D animated look at L5 Hymotion

(Performance graph shows only 3 KWH are useable - standard marketing short changing?)
"fully depleted" yet 2 KWH remaining?


Question is, when will ZENN be taking deposits on their own Prius (50 KWH?) upgrade kit?

Do they genuinely have something in the works? A prototype or even a mockup that we could have a picture of?

If not, what sort of licensing terms for somebody else to create such an upgrade kit? For the, oh, 1/2 million(?) or so 2004 - 2008 Prius fleet that's actually on the road, today?

nekote said...

as with marcus (#1) post.

reality check.
any real EESUs, anywhere?
Prototype units in ZENNs, anywhere?
Near production units actually in hand and being evaluated / integrated / worked with?

Still nothing in hand / utterly vaporware, even for him?

richterm said...

Yeah, definitely ask if he has ever seen with his own two eyes a demonstration of a working prototype.

Also, does he still expect EESU delivery THIS year? Wier was quoted saying production in early 2009 in one article.

steve said...

Mr. Weir has just issued a PR that allows those who believe he is a man of his word to get very excited.

And in his inimitable style, that very same PR gives those who think it's a scam enough confusion to stay away.

I believe Richard Weir.

Matt said...

bah, I mostly believe him, but I'm still disappointed to see a release about purity when I've been waiting for permitivity.

Marcus said...

Not to start another war Steve but I think many of us neither disbelieve or believe in Mr Weir, whether we have money invested or not. It is a risk/benefit calculation, with some extra added hope.

richterm said...

I agree bah.

What is this like the Great Pumpkin? If you believe, you get some candy?

steve said...

According to my calculations,
The Mavrix Sierra Fund owns 87,287 shares of ZNN with a current market value of $488,809.

Institutional investment dollars coming in is very encouraging.

The Mavrix Sierra Fund was worth
$14,043,000 as of June 30, 2008.

3.4% of that fund consists of shares in Zenn.

$14,043,000 x .034 = $477,462

pps of ZNN on June 30, 2008 = $5.47

477,462/5.47 = 87287

pps of ZNN today = $5.60

$5.60 - $5.47 = .13

87,287 x .13 = 11,347

$477,462 + $11,347 = $488,809

http://www.mavrixfunds.com/mavdev/en/products/funds/M_Sierra.aspx

steve said...
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steve said...

richterm said,

What is this like the Great Pumpkin? If you believe, you get some candy?

That's a great way of putting it.
I think there's something along those lines going on.

richterm said...

Good Grief

Marcus said...

I have to second that.

steve said...

Hey B,

Back in May, for Part 2 of your interview with Richard Weir, you said you spoke to Lockheed Martin's "press point of contact" and that you would be posting that interview.

Why didn't you ever post that interview?

Here's what you said:

So, I wasn't surprised when I asked Mr. Weir to please give me something new and interesting that no one has written about, something exciting if possible. His reply? "Go back and read what Lockheed Martin said about this. I think that's very exciting. .They said two things. They said it works. And they didn't say it works with this or that caveat... they just said it works. And second, they said it could ramp up into a high volume production environment. I think that's very exciting. So go read what they said about it." In other words, go ask my big brawny, highly trained, well-armed partners what they say about it. So, I took him at his words and did reread the press release and then called the Lockheed press point of contact. That interview will be posted next week.

http://bariumtitanate.blogspot.com/2008/07/eestor-announcement.html

Jason M said...

Where are the Permitivity Tests?

steve said...

"Why so serious?" :)

b said...

steve, there's alot of aspects of the EEStory that come to my attention that I dont have time to post. I'll look into possibly posting what I found out in that interview but as I recall, it was a very "no comment" sort of conversation. In fact, I'd say it was one of the conversations where I really tried to drill into the info but didnt get very far. I believe I learned later why this may have been the case---someone told me that the Liebman interview was not on the up and up in terms of disclosing to Liebman that he was being interviewed.... that's pure hearsay of course...I have no way to validate whether it's true....but I share it nonetheless.

Unknown said...

You know I just realized why eestor is so secret, as someone posted here
kedros parc "eestor.us" url
We are working on the powder. It is all about the powder

You see, the secret powder, the purity and size of barium titanate is the difference. Now once everyone know this, all competitors will work on finding away to do the same thing, in a different way. translation, eestor only gets a 3 year head start, because others will find a way to purify it using a different method.

If you reread lockheed martin, they keep talk about the powder.

What have you seen from EEStor in terms of their technology?

We’ve visited their facility. We were very impressed. They are taking an approach that lends itself to a very quick ramp-up in production. We’ve seen a lot of their testing and efforts to measure the purity of the powders that they use, and the chemistry. Well be working with them very closely this year to develop prototypes in certain pursuits.

Red Ken said...

I'd really be happy to eat my hat on this, but the scam alarm is going ting-a-ling-a-ling.

We are supposed to believe the purity of the mystery powder is the key to everlasting (vehicle) life .... How long are we expected to believe that?

Blah blah blah de blah .. show me a long life vehicle.

nekote said...

Oh yea, how about today's EEStor press release.

Paragraph 6:
"EEStor, Inc. published patent, application number 5812758," ... concerning polarization.

Where can one view that *published* patent application being referred to?

Several commentators on this Blog tried and failed to locate that item on the Web.

A typo?
Other issue - not USPTO?
*application* patent number?

steve said...

Forget about the Patent for a moment and try to find "flexible matrix concept" .

steve said...

Richard Weir needs one of these powered by an EEstor esu...

:) This "jet pack" made its debut today.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/jet_pack_launches

Marcus said...

steve, what do you mean by that?

Marcus said...

I mean in regard to the flexible matrix stuff.

steve said...

Marcus,

"flexible matrix concept" doesn't appear to exist anywhere on the web until yesterday. And nobody can find the Patent application 5812758.

I believe Weir's use of the word "potential" thereto is in the traditional every day use of the word, while his earlier use of "potential" in the PR is as the technical term of art for "electric potential".

And I believe that people are missing the relevance of this PR, which when read as suggested here, indicates Weir has finally announced, not just new purity levels for the powder, but also the holy grail... permittivity.

I believe Weir announced permittivity to the world yesterday and the world just didn't get it.

Unknown said...

You might be right. This is Zenn's statement from today:
"Yesterday's announcement bodes well for EEStor's completion of its third party verified permittivity milestone and is a very strong affirmation of our investment in and the rapid progress of our business plan," stated Ian Clifford ...
http://biz.yahoo.com/ccn/080730/200807300476884001.html?.v=1

Unknown said...
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nekote said...

ferget asking about "published patent, application number 5812758,"

Turns out, just one (of many?) way refer to the WIPO patent.

*NOT* a new patent.

nekote said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
nekote said...

Brett,
On May 30, 2008, ZENN completed 15 million (Canadian Dollars) in new financing.

I'd bet they've fattened up the bank account because of the prospect of soon needing to make upcoming milestone / progress payments to EEStor. $700,000 (USD) upon independent permittivity certification. $500,000 on delivery to ZENN of production line EESUs.

And to have $5 Million on hand to exercise their option, within 30 days of the permittivity certification, to double their equity stake in EEStor from the current 3.8% .

And additional funds ($2M?) for further equity investment - but that depends on the actions of other (current / private) investors.

In the end, ZENN could own between 6.2% and 10.5%, depending on the degree other EEStor investors exercise their options.