Next Chevy Volt may double battery power but Eestor vows more
By Matt Jansen
Right now, the Chevy Volt promises 40 miles of travel without using a drop of gasoline. But GM has partnered with some battery manufacturers who aim to double that range by integrating carbon nano-fibers into the lithium-ion batteries. That’s incremental though compared with Eestor’s claims that its ultracapacitor will power a car for 300 miles per charge.
Two companies in Ohio have been working on the Chevy Volt’s batteries for more than 2 years and they’re confident that they can create new higher capacity batteries for the Chevy Volt. Carbon nano-fibers are central to their approach, which supposedly allow greater storage capacity in a smaller footprint, according to Dayton Daily News.
Bolstered by investments of $1 million from the Ohio Third Frontier program as well as $500,000 from GM, Applied Sciences has worked on advanced electrode materials for the Volt’s battery for about two years. Already, Pyrograf Products, is the world’s third largest producer of the nanofiber materials in question, managers say.
The Chevy Volt has already made a marked improvement over it’s failed EV1 predecessor, chopping an 800 lb lead acid battery down to 400 lbs by using lithium-ion.
Even so, Eestor claims its ultracapacitor will power an electric car for 300 miles and will have the capacity to charge in minutes with a high voltage outlet. If Eestor’s claims are true, then Applied Sciences has some work to do to catch up.
And not much time, especially considering ZENN Motor Company plans to launch its cityZENN car in Fall 2009 which uses Eestor technology, before the launch of even the first generation Chevy Volt. Eestor previously promised commercialization of its product in 2008.
Zenn has an exclusivity agreement with battery-maker EEStor Inc. for small cars and golf carts, and in April, 2007, acquired 3.8 per cent of the Texas-based company for $2.5-million (U.S.). It has the right to buy another $5-million of shares at the same price, if certain developmental milestones are achieved, according to a company press release (pdf).
The stage is set for some interesting developments over the next several months in the electric powered vehicle front. The Chevy Volt has certainly captured a wide swatch of buzz online, but its position at the forefront of the industry is anything but sure.
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Stumble It!
October 15th, 2008
You can follow the Eestor saga at http://www.theeestory.com I wouldn’t hold my breath on an Eestor powered Zenn anytime in 2009. Delays have been the order of the day for Eestor for many years.
October 15th, 2008
“will have the capacity to charge in minutes with a high voltage outlet”
I will find these WHERE?
Can anyone answer how I’m going to get back and forth to work when an overnight charge won’t make the round trip? Is my office going to provide electric outlets where I can plug in my car to charge up for the trip home? And that electricity will be provided to me for free??? And what is my household electric bill going to look like charging up my Volt (or whatever) every night? If my neighborhood ALL bought Volts, we’d have electrical grid brown-outs in the middle of the night too, not just during peek sunny summer afternoons when we’re all running our AC!
October 15th, 2008
It would have been interesting to see what they would have some up with if they had tried to make a pure EV that used no fossil fuels rather than a hybrid that still uses gas. With all the enormous hype, one hopes that the Volt will live up to expectations.