CNN Article from Sept 20, 2006

Interesting to look at what was said about EEStor and Zenn Motor back in 2006 on CNN.  For those trying to guestimate the cost of a conversion kit, here's a little help, "an EEStor-powered engine with a range roughly equivalent to that of a gasoline-powered car woudl cost about $5,200."

Ian Clifford on Montel

Catching up on some YouTube content. Here's Ian Clifford on Montel. They were giving away one of his cars in a contest. 

Local News Station Story on Zenn

Found this on Youtube from January 07. Interesting line, "a full charge will only cost you about $1."

Autos.canada.com Zenn Motor Stock Speculation

Decent article on Zenn & EEStor that includes some interesting quotes from stock analysts regarding the investment opportunity / risk of Zenn Motor.   It was also printed by FinancialPost.com.   Here's an excerpt:

Rick Welty of investment advisory firm Welty Capital Management in LaFayette,

 Calif., recently discussed Zenn on Bloomberg TV. "The caveat is the upside-downside

 potential" for the company's stock, he said. "If it doesn't work, it probably goes to 

$1 a share. If it does work, it could be $15 or $20 or far higher."

Another Ian Clifford Interview

Here's an interview with alot of the same content I was able to get from Ian Clifford.  Well done. 

Good EEstor Intro Article

I'm always amazed to find such well written, carefully thought out blog entries such as this one on EEstor, ultracaps, their relation to traditional batteries, etc. It's a good read for those interested in going a tiny bit deeper into the science of ultracaps.  

Revenue from conversion kits?

I spoke to a reader about his napkin estimate of potential revenue Zenn Motor could receive if things went well with EESTor.  The conversation included some tips regarding what next to ask Ian Clifford when the opportunity arises.  Thanks!

EEStor's Richard Weir on John McCain's $300Mil Prize

(Phone Ringing)

RW: Dick Weir.

Blogger: Hey Dick, this is John McCain calling. How you doing? 

RW: How you doing John?  What can I do for you?

Blogger: I was wondering, should I make that check out to you or should I make it out to EEStor?....

(laughter)

RW: Better make it out to EEStor or they'll come and get me...

Blogger: Maybe Ian Clifford should get it?

(laughter)

RW: Ahhh, no, he doesnt need it. He's rich. 

Blogger: And also, what's my cut, Dick?

(laughter)

RW: A good healthy feeling about the United States.  

That's how my conversation this morning started with Richard Weir, CEO of EEStor. ( Note: recorded here verbatim, which hopefully will satisfy some critics who think my interviews dont include enough direct quotes. ) When we spoke, he was aware of McCain's call for a $300Mil prize for any company that can create a next generation car battery.  

Blogger: All kidding aside, what do you think of this John McCain announcement?

RW: He just gave us $300Mil dollars. If he pulls it off, we get the $30oMil. Whose going to compete with us?

Blogger: I dont know. Who is your closest competitor?

RW: A123 spent $32Mil in 5-6 yrs. The price went through the ceiling. They say they get better charging time. Be careful because that's 80%. Ours is 100% charge/discharge and very very rapid. So I mean, who is going to compete with us?

Blogger: I cant think of anyone. 

RW: So we get the $300Mil. 

I asked him whether maybe Zenn Motor should get the prize and Weir explained to me that they dont build anything. :-)  I asked Weir about his politics and he was careful to be neutral but he did reveal his leanings. He did think McCain's idea was very smart.  And then he went on to share some of his thoughts on the political landscape in the context of an energy crisis.  

I asked him for an update on the permitivity tests and pointed out that when we spoke a month ago, he said news was forthcoming.  He said, "We've made significant progress since the last time we talked. Very very happy about the way things are going in our company." 

I pressed him on his recommendation last time to research what Lockheed had released on his technology and pointed out that they appear more tight lipped than he does. He laughed and then said, "It's going to happen. We're certainly happy with our progress. And EEStor is well positioned for a fast finish this year. "

In a future post, I'll share some more details on the conversation including how to do business with EEStor today...for those who think they have an application. 

In the meantime, moving forward, I'm more than a little concerned about the level and quality of comments being posted on my blog.  What we all have in common is an interest in whether or not EEStor can deliver this amazing technology. We can disagree and even be cranky about each other's assessments of this. But I'd like to ask that everyone show a little more civility and class.  My blog is like my home. If I invite you in, act like a guest.  I'm going to hold off moving to a moderated comment format for now. My guess is there are always going to be a few people who go beyond polite skepticism and issue vulgarities to ruin the atmosphere. If it keeps up, I'll have to moderate the comments.  

From Pacemaker to Powerplant: Part 1 Interview of Ian Clifford

What do you get when you combine gadget lust with an energy crisis?  For Ian Clifford, CEO of Zenn Motor Company, the answer is quite simple: an opportunity to save the planet.  

Not save

 Toronto or Texas or any other part of the world but the whole shebang; everything and everybody.  You'll forgive Mr. Clifford if he occasionally uses that two word phrase--the planet---a bit too often.  It's just that, when you are about to enter phase 1 of a revolution that could end the use of fossil fuel powered cars, that phrase keeps popping up unexpectedly.  Then again, that's the sort of phrase we heard often back in the early Internet boom, of which, Mr. Clifford was  a successful participant, having sold an Internet marketing company at precisely the right time to stay optimistic about almost anything he touches for the rest of his life.  It's going to take nothing less than heroic optimism to pull off what Mr. Clifford is aiming to pull off.  What is he trying to pull off?

For starters, he wants to save each of the 13000 taxi cab drivers in New York City around $17,000 per year in fuel costs which amounts to over $1Bil over 5yrs which does not include the savings associated with no longer needing to change oil, filters or tune up internal combusion engines or even the lion share of savings gained via vehicle life expansion.  He wants to do this with a zero emission alternative based on technology gained from EEstor, the mysterious producers of a technology which may or may not receive 3rd party validation any day now.   For those who have followed news on Zenn Motor Company, you may be scratching your head now as you thought Zenn was focused on producing a tiny but fully electric  car. But how could Zenn get this car to every taxi cab driver in NYC?  Clifford and Zenn Motors is working on a set of ultracap conversion kits which will be available to retrofit the typical NYC cab platform of choice: the Crown Victoria and/or similar large vehicles.  The kit would eliminate the internal combusion engine and replace it with a ZENNergy drive system, a fully electric system based on ultracapacitor technology. 

With a little success under his belt, Clifford could spend a bit of effort on 100 or so other similarly sized fleets out there before moving on to something of more interest to the average consumer.  While Zenn's cityZenn car is targeted to possibly begin chipping away at the 40mil new  car market beginning in late 2009, you may find a bigger dent sooner among the 900 mil existing vehicles around "the planet" today.  Let's elaborate on this a bit.

Perhaps lately your decision to buy the largest SUV available with the worst gas mileage is seeming less funny to you. Picture this. One day you drive to a Jiffy lube or even your local dealer and instead of an oil change, you ask for engine removal. A few hours later, you pull away from the shop and notice your SUV is now quicker out of the gate than your wife's SAAB while reducing your vehicle power costs by what we'll call a motivating amount of money.  What happens next?  If all goes well, over 1Mil others follow your lead each year for the next few years producing what Ian Clifford would have investors believe is a motivating amount of money. 

What else would Ian Clifford have us believe? In the next installment, Clifford will test our faith with thoughts on who will be the new gas station, other applications of ultracap technology as well as where entrepreneurs should focus their attention for the most gain. 

Amazing Fuel Cost Savings

I tried out the Zenn Motor savings calculator on their website today. The calculator points out that my fuel costs for driving an SUV 70 miles per day is $5600/yr. If i were to switch to a fully electric Zenn and recharge via my local Virigina Power at $0.085 per KWH, my fuel costs would reduce by $5321. That is, with a Zenn my fuel costs would be $278/yr. I am paying 20 times more per year to drive an SUV than a Zenn. This is a staggering figure which could have such an enormous benefit in today's environment. It's not difficult to see what kind of demand this is going to generate if all goes well.