EEStor Partner Zenn Motor Company Announces CityThen

That was Zenn and this is now:

"The previously announced cityZENN highway capable electric vehicle will not be developed into a standalone commercially available offering. Management believes that this refinement to the Company's business strategy and focus provides for the most efficient allocation of Company resources to maximize future profit potential."

With that, Zenn Motor Company announced via press release today that they have officially abandoned the production of their own branded, CityZenn, electric vehicle. The news comes as little surprise to all but a few who have not followed the Zenn Motor Company story closely. Hinted at previously at the annual shareholder meeting was the fact that CityZenn, in it's best case would be only an example platform, it is not surprising that they have officially called it quits.

I spoke to Marc Korchin, a Zenn Motor Company retailer in Berkeley, CA. He was not disappointed in the lost opportunity sell a CityZenn because his current business is focused on conversions and the sale of the Wheego. Essentially, as Korchin tells it he had not invested too much time hoping for the CityZenn due to trying to keep his business going now.

On the other hand, another dealer who asked that he not be identified in this article said he is "profoundly disappointed" by the loss of not just the CityZenn but the loss of the LSV oddly enough, which will also be discontinued after the 2010 model year (according to the dealer). Started more as a mission to help combat global warming rather than a enormously successful business, this anonymous dealer shared with me that he had invested a significant sum launching his Zenn retail dealership and wonders how easily he will be able to sell his remaining vehicles. He learned of the halt to the CityZenn plans via the Reuters article that broke the story. Although he went to great lengths to say he found the persons that he dealt with at Zenn to be very friendly and helpful, he was disappointed to learn about the plans via the news.

When he first read of Ian Clifford's initial statement about not wanting to be a vehicle manufacturer a few months ago, he emailed Zenn officials wondering how he could sell cars when the President of the company was saying essentially there was no future in building EEStor powered vehicles. At the time, he was assured the statement was taken out of context and that there would be a future. Later, when he heard a rumor that the LSV would also hit the chopping block, he inquired again and was told the same thing that this was only rumor.

I asked Zenn about these issues today and Catherine Scrimgeour provided the following information:

ZMC is in the Low Speed Vehicle business and is carrying forward the current ZENN as a 2010 model that will be introduced in mid-October and we will continue to provide service and parts support for all our customers.

Congratulations A123 Systems

You dodged a bullet and got your IPO in the bag. Whoever is responsible for orchestrating this progress deserves a pat on the back. Don't get too comfortable though.

Unstealthing Kleiner Perkins' Fortu Powercell: Kleiner helped them seek DOE Battery Funds

Via yet another determined reader of TheEEStory.com, a new stealth Kleiner investment has come to light. This time, it required a FOIA request to the Department of Energy to learn the list of applicants for advanced battery development funds.

The complete list is a whos who of battery upstarts, established players and wannabes. It is currently located at TheEEStory.com.

Since Kleiner has been so generous to me in regards to my numerous requests for comment on EEStor, it does make me chuckle a bit to be able to help uncloak yet another of their investments hiding in stealth. :-)

The DOE document lists Fortu Powercell Inc., as having an address of Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers of 2750 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025. The POC listed is Mr. Alan Greenshields. From their website, it looks like this is a German company. http://www.fortu.de/

According to the forums website, RCGroups, Fortu uses a lithium chemistry consisting of Lithium-Cobalt-inorganic technology.

HHHhhhmm. Backing a German company for funds designed to grow a domestic battery industry. HHHhhhhmmm, not commenting on the EEStor investment. HHHhhhmmm.

Anyone at Kleiner care to clear any of this up for inquiring minds? Email: eestorblog@gmail.com


Here is one of their patents.

UL in Receipt of Cert Request from EEStor

Lyle Dennis, founder of gm-volt.com and allcarselectric.com, is reporting today that UL has begun working with EEStor on product certification. To what stage has this progressed is anybody's guess--maybe so far it's just at the request stage. But so far, here's the quote Dennis has obtained from UL:

"We have received a request to certify EEStor's product," said Priya L. Tabaddor, PhD, Global Energy Services, Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

Additionally, back in July, I scored an interview with Jace Curtis from PTI, the company who ZMC contracted to validate the EEStor permittivity testing performed by Dr. Ed Golla. Dick Weir had indicated possibly working with them to prepare and/or complete UL certification testing with them. In the interview, Curtis provides good background on UL's relationship to OSHA, etc. Basically, companies can reduce the amount of time it takes to obtain UL certification by pretesting products before doing the actual testing. Also, according to Curtis, one of the last things a company does before releasing a product is to perform UL testing. It's on the right side of the gant chart.

Underwriters Laboratories on Vehicle Batteries

The timing of UL's press release about testing of vehicle batteries is interesting. But what about standards for EESU's?

Who Follows EEStor?

I started a thread at TheEEStory concerning who reads/views the website. It's an interesting thread that includes various users identifying with various companies, organizations in the list.

Another user went through the list and provided numerous web links to the organizations in question. Who knows, maybe you aren't the only one following EEStor?

Mandatory Reading on EEStor's Carl W. Nelson

http://theeestory.com/posts/61243

TheEEStory.com's GaryB and Tom Villars

Since EEStor is about to be issued a 3rd patent, there's been a bit of activity related to organizing all of this publicly available information. The result is a fantastic EEStor spreadsheet put together by GaryB and Tom Villars. It includes tabs forDick Weir and Carl Nelson EEStor patents, EEStor trademarks, EEStor attorneys, EEStor EDGAR filings, related Incorporations and Permits. EEStor EEStor EEStor.

This really should be included on the EEStor wikipedia page. Who will make that happen? Maybe YOU!

EEStor: The Inventor Richard Weir

In 1963, Richard "Dick" Weir had not yet filed his first of 20+ issued patents. In fact, he was two years away from his 1965 graduation from Cal Poly Pamona aka California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. However, he did pose for the below yearbook photo.



Contrary to popular belief, Dick Weir graduated from Cal Poly Pamona with a degree in Industrial Engineering not Electrical Engineering, which of course, is a more suitable preparation for someone whose career is marked by innovation in production technology not "new science." EEStor fans will note most immediately that their fearless idol does not appear to be a slide rule geek. Instead, it seems appropriate to associate the below photo with Weir's prior service as a pilot in the US Marine Corps. OoooRah!

So, dear reader, are you now examining for the first time one of the greatest inventors of this century?

Special thanks to the Cal Poly Pamona Library and an interested EEStor Inc. investor.

EEStor Third Patent Issue Date Set 9/29/09

The illustrious Tom Villars has located a letter from the United States Patent & Trademark office establishing the issue date for EEStor's 3rd patent for application # 11/400,875. It will be issued 9/29/09 and will have patent #7595109.

Update: There's been some confusion and discussion of this topic. The best theory to date seems to be that one of EEStor's patent's is being split into two, perhaps at their request. This seems to be what happened to one of the patents in the European Patent Office. The topic is still being discussed at TheEEStory.com.

Read it and weep, skeptics!