All I want for Christmas EESU by Ian Clifford

This did not hurt my ears at all actually. Nice Scottish accent, Ian.



For those wondering what will be under their Christmas tree this year, all that I can tell you at this point is I DONT KNOW! Meaning: I have no new information to change anything I've stated previously. So, if you've already begun lighting your menorah, perhaps the second blessing each night should hold special significance for you:

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

Happy Other Holidays! Peace!

Consumer Economics of the EEStor EESU

I sat down recently to tackle the goal of gaining a better understanding of the economic benefits of having a home based EEStor EESU. I decided to focus on 3 main areas of possible payback:

1) Moving from non-electric to fully electric (or hybrid) vehicles
2) Moving from peak to off-peak energy costs
3) Introducing home based solar and/or wind energy generation

[note: there will be at least 2 parts to this article series]

The plan is to summarize my current consumption, calculate energy cost deltas and factor in capital outlays to produce overall economic benefit statements. The guiding principle of this exercise is to use as little math as possible to make a plain English, cocktail-party-type value statement for why items 1-3 would be valuable for consumers. A remote goal of this amateur study is to find a conceptual foundation upon which one could better understand the value of the EEStor EESU to businesses of various types.

Confession: my attention span often lets me down when it comes to even small amounts of basic math. Secondly, I'm not an accountant, but I can say with some certainty that this exercise will go better for you if you start by keeping separate operating vs capital costs. Bundling it all together is best saved for the last step since it builds upon having some basic concepts arranged appropriately.


Current Consumption
I started with my latest electrical energy bill to learn that for the 12 months ended Sept 30, 2008, my household consumed 16,000kWh at a cost of $1070. My house could certainly benefit from some updated windows & insulation but the analysis justifying that is out of scope here.

16000kWh/yr =
1333kWh/month =
43.84kWh/day

$1070/yr =
$88/month =
$2.94/day

To make this article more interesting, I set aside the actual energy/cost requirements of my daily commute in favor of a scenario I think may be more interesting to "people like me." Assume with me, that I have 2 SUV's each getting 15mpg and having 20 mi one way commutes (40mi round trip--yes, probably not typical).

40mi/15mpg=
2.67gal/day/vehicle x 2vehicles =
5.33gal/day.

Today, gas in my area costs $2/gal x 5.33 gal/day.

$10.66/day x 5 days/wk = $53.3/wk x 52wks/yr =
$2771/fuel costs for 2SUV's.

Switching from Gas to Electricity

If I switched to an EESU based solution (eg, cityZenn) and accept the specs offered with a 52kWh EESU, I would get 300 miles on a full charge.

300mi/52kwh=
5.77mi/kWh.

For (2) 40mi commutes, one would need 80mi/5.77mi/kWh=13.9kWh/day. At my current electrical cost, that 13.9kWh/day x .0668c/kW = $0.93. With gasoline, the 2 SUV's require $10.66/day. With electrical energy, that drops to 0.93c/day. Carry it out .93/day x 5days/wk = $4.64/wk x 52wks = $241/yr. Again, compare $2771 in fuel costs to $241 in electrical energy costs for a net savings of $2771-$241 = $2530/yr. (Additional savings comes from using off-peak electricity. See below.)

Switching from Peak to Off-Peak Electricity
In my area, off-peak electricity rates are approximately (but not quite) half the cost of peak rates. My regular household electricity requirements are 43.84kWh where as my commuting requirements were 13.9kWh.

43.84kWh+13.9kWh=
57.74kWh/day.

The cost of that much electricity is $3.86/day or $1408/yr. By charging the EESU at night with off-peak energy, the overall electricity cost reduces by half (for easy math).

$1408/2=
$704.45

Time to put a few calculations together to grab a new rough net reduction in operating costs. At peak, my house electricity is $1070/yr + $2771/yr for gasoline = $3841. By using off-peak electricity for both, my cost goes down to $655.

($1070/2)+$(241/2)=
$535+120.5=$655.

$3841-$655=$3186.

By switching from gas to electric vehicle and moving from peak to off-peak electrical energy, my operating savings would be $3186/yr when gasoline is at $2/gallon. Obviously at $4/gas, it would be a hell of a lot more.

Switching from Grid to Solar & Wind

To start the analysis of reducing my dependency on the grid for electricity, let me restate that I need 16000kWh per year for my home and 3614kWh per year for my commute for a total of 19614kWh/yr.

19,614kWh/yr =
1634kWh/month =
53.73kWh/day

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This is a good place to end part 1. Looking forward to feedback on what we've got here so far.

To comment, visit TheEEStory.com/blog

EEStor Issued New Patent

Details are still emerging, but it appears EEStor Inc. has been granted US Patent 7466536. For the latest discussion of this topic, visit TheEEStory.com.

Following this development, EEStor Inc. issued a two character statement:

:)

End quote.

"Intel Inside" Model May Attract....Intel

Andy Grove is talking about plug-in electric cars again, this time to the Wall Street Journal. The former chairman of Intel, who retired in 2005, is now urging his old company to consider diversifying into something that might put new meaning into the Zenn Motor Company mantra, "Intel Inside." I'm referring of course to the Grove recommendation that Intel begin producing batteries for plug-in electric vehicles.

ARTICLE REQUIRES SUBSCRIPTION.

As if EEStor didn't already have enough competitors with ultra-deep, uber-bottomless pockets. Let's see, you've got the oil companies, the Asian electronics companies who own the lithium ion market, the capacitors industry, the internal combustion engine auto parts industry, and just about every industry that comes to mind. This is not a David and Goliath story. This is a David and Army of Goliath's story.

There's no time to lose, Dick, get your shades on and get out there and FIGHT MAN FIGHT!!!!

[TV ANNOUNCER VOICE ] In business news, a fight broke out today on the energy storage playground. Several industries chose to tangle with 70 yr old inventor, Dick Weir, founder and CEO of EEStor Inc. We have some dramatic footage just in.

This broadcast was brought to you by Lockheed Martin, makers of NEO Wearable Power for Hackers or Catholic Clergy. EEStor Inside.

Note: Dick Weir's makeup by Just for Men.

To discuss this and every other topic about EEStor, see: TheEEStory.com

Image Source: Gary Land.

A Speculative Piece on the Arrival of the First Production EEStor EESU

Lately, I've been comparing the arrival of EEStor's first Zenn Motor EESU production unit to the arrival of Godot. This has greatly delighted some and troubled others depending on the depth and breadth of one's educational background. Admittedly, my use of this metaphor has been somewhat ambiguous because even I don't know how it is functioning when I use it. Remember what I said about educational background?

Starting over. Ahem. Ian Clifford participated in a virtual chat today over here. Inevitably, the question arose about the status of the EESU expected to be delivered this month and of course, the answer was a non-material one. This troubled some observers who are a bit jittery at this stage in the game. Perfectly understandable. But rather than picture Ian Clifford fighting investors in court several months for now, I'd like to offer an alternative vision of what could be transpiring this month. This is a speculative piece not to be confused with a history since it has to do with the future (inserted here for legal experts reading this). This is what I envision and I offer it to those of you tempted to fall into the pessimistic court room drama fantasy. Cheer up, mate.

It's a cold December (2008) day outside the offices of Zenn Motor Company headquarters when the UPS truck rolls up not so stealthily due to loud, party music emanating from front cab. Strangely, no one emerges until a couple songs play out. Then two or three similarly dressed individuals emerge from the truck and spend a few minutes extracting and loading up a large shipping crate. Whistling as they go, they work together to move the shipment to the front door where it is greeted by Ian Clifford, Brian Cott and 30 or so other interested persons. The delivery leader asks, "Who will sign for this?" Calmly, Ian Clifford takes one step forward and although his hand is shaking, he somehow manages to scribble out his own name, smudging the ink a bit due to some drooling and a diminishing control over his central nervous system. He hands the airbill back and after a deep breath and exhale, he manages to squeak out the following, "I give you the EESU. May it transport us to the future. " (oh wait, that's the flux capacitor--sorry).

With this, what ensues is something no UPS delivery team has ever experienced upon dropping off a simple package, ie, the package celebration to end all package celebrations. The Zenn staff erupts into screaming, jumping, high fiving, convulsing, swearing, cart wheeling, fainting, laughing and crying and even some angry angry growling. Some have brought alcohol and the overall scene quickly puts the shipment at risk. After a wrestling match determines the happiest particular individual, the cargo is shuttled in very awkwardly to a conference room that's been made over into a banquet setting. It is unboxed and placed in the middle of the table. A disco ball drops down from the ceiling at the precise time of the unveiling. More music. People are running all over the office, in and out and around and overall it seems as if the World Hockey Championship was just won by Zenn Motor Company. Some actually have hockey sticks with them to shake in the air.

At this stage, the rest of the scene that plays out can not be described on a family oriented blog such as this. Suffice it to say, some individuals crossed the line and now must survive on vested stock options the rest of their lives. (won't be a problem)

15 days later, the human sized energizer bunny, that's been packed with lead to weigh 4 metric tons, and which is connected to the shiny new EESU is still going and going and...............................GONE!!!!!!!!! ;-)


Note: this story was not written by Godot....or Beckett.

Ian Clifford Interview with much EEStor Discussion

This is the most recent article containing an interview of Ian Clifford of Zenn Motor Company and covers much about EEStor. It also mentions some of the challenges and strategy issues, Zenn has had to work through in all of this. All in all, a great new article to reflect upon.

Here's an interesting snippet from the article:

The numbers

33

Percentage of new car buyers in California who say they would buy an electric car for their next vehicle

678,108 gallons

Amount of crude oil the New York Power Authority estimates it saved by retrofitting school buses to electric power, providing incentives for electric cars and other initiatives aimed at boosting electric transportation

250,000

Number of electric vehicles expected on the roads in Europe, their biggest market, by 2015

40 km-h

Top speed of a Zenn neighbourhood car

14 km-h

Average speed on Manhattan streets

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Note also, Clifford will answer questions for theglobeandmail.com on Friday. More info at TheEEStory.com

Hello, Godot? Zenn says EEStor Still On Track for '08

The editors of bariumtitanate.blogspot.com and TheEEStory.com, ie, me, myself and I (and TV!) have decided to recognize the obvious and bluntly say what we've all been thinking: the holiday season is upon us. But what does that actually mean for EEStor obsessed persons such as this writer and you there, the reader? For example, a key question is this: just how festive ought one to be this holiday season, meaning, how much of my personal time have I wasted this year following the EEStory? Will it pay off and add any cheer to my enjoyment of the holidays? Answers to questions such as these are key in helping you strike the appropriate tone in your celebrations if in fact there be any to have. After all, ground breaking innovations in energy storage do not come along every few years. Right?

Unfortunately, I can't tell you how happy to be or for what and to what degree. Therefore, holiday advice, like stock advice is not something we're qualified or prepared to offer. Just the plain, cold, boring facts as it relates to EEStor are what you will find here unfortunately. Peppered of course with a dash of enthusiasm.

Speaking of which, I had the opportunity to speak with Catherine Scrimgeour of Zenn Motor Company this morning as she traveled to an event in Mexico. She reiterated her previous statement confirming today that "things are still on track" for EEStor's delivery of a working EESU in 2008. Rumor has it this was also validated by EEStor although that cannot be confirmed at this time. It may have been mentioned in a chat room session at TheEESTory.com but your mileage may vary.

Entering now a bit of speculation. It is this blogger's perspective that if Zenn and EEStor are in agreement of the delivery of a prototype EESU, something produced by EEStor's production line, then it sets the stage for a definitive resolution of all of the scientific doubts that have plagued EEStor to date (not that an appropriate use of doubt wasn't valuable for a company in their position. ) Why? Zenn would have something that can be looked at by a third party, tested, validated, digested, stained, dry cleaned, paraded around on everyone's shoulders like an object of worship or an athlete who made the game winning play, etc. The issue of permittivity would also be settled since as Ian Clifford stated previously, delivery of a production line unit to Zenn implies permittivity. That is of course, if the concept of permittivity actually applies to what EEStor is producing and isn't a mere red herring.

If all of this comes to pass, and you logically connect the dots, what Zenn Motor appears to be confirming is EEStor permittivity and prototypes that will be announced and delivered this month, ie, in the next 30 days. Only time will say for sure at this point. A residual impact of this all coming to be might be to throw the ball back in Zenn's court to demonstrate some progress in their manufacture of the cityZenn and progress on their business plan to date. This might be a good time to recollect the Zenn Motor milestones in favor of cityZenn. Anyone?

As for this blogger, I can say I will be happy to see Godot. Like many of you, I have quite a few questions for him. ;-)

Discussions of this topic can occur here.

Cedar Park TX Manufacturer EEXpansion

There's nothing for you to see here about EEStor Inc., unless you speculate that perhaps maybe the unidentified Cedar Park, TX manufacturer that Phil Brewer, Director of Economic Development for Cedar Park, TX is talking about someone else when he references a company in the area seeking expansion.

Article continued here.

Part 2: Interview with Carl Watkins, LightEVs

Carl Watkins is a very calm man. There's no tension in his voice as he responds to questions I throw at him over the course of three or four phone interviews. He's definitely not in a rush to do anything very quickly when it comes to EEStor. You almost get the feeling that Watkins is already enjoying a sort of retirement from conflict now that he and his team own the exclusive rights to EEStor technology for all three wheeled vehicles and a portion of the two wheeled vehicle market. Where does that peace of mind come from?

First, Watkins and team are very comfortable with the progress EEStor is making towards ramping up production in 2009. What's left to do is described by Watkins as having been done elsewhere before and well understood. Just a matter of execution. Secondly, Watkins is basing his marketing efforts on the un-hyped logic that flows from simple demonstrations of technology that he will allow his prospects to experience prior to signing a deal with LightEVs.

Do you have anything to show them now? "No."

Then how are you going about things prior to being able to do that?

[ARTICLE CONTINUED HERE]

Another EEStor Skeptic Goes On Record

Back in September, I got a series of emails from Rudyard Istvan of NanoCarbons LLC expressing a fair bit of frustration with the amount of attention this website provides to EEStor Inc., when in Istvan's opinion, it could be harnessed for more promising technologies. Yes, Rudyard Istvan is an EEStor skeptic and no, it's not the policy of this website to exclude the views of persons like Mr. Istvan from the overall discussion. I say this even in light of the fact that Mr. Istvan compared people like me to those of a cargo cult, a reference that made me break down and cry uncontrollably. Kidding. I've mentioned several times, the area of physics & material science that EEStor is operating in is not my area of expertise. I will back that up by saying further there may be no area where I have an area of expertise or better, if you know my area of expertise, please have it contact me.

[article continued here]