EEstor is a company based in Cedar Park, Texas, USA. A start up company pioneering a new energy storage technology.

"will change everything"

See You Later, Batteries

... will dramatically outperform the best lithium-ion batteries on the market in terms of energy density, price, charge time, and safety... The implications are enormous...

EEStor's EV Ultra-Capacitor

Such a breakthrough has the potential to radically transform a transportation sector already flirting with an electric renaissance.

A superior type of supercapacitor, using barium titanate coated with aluminum oxide and glass, to achieve a level of capacitance much higher than what is currently available in the market. A high energy storage device that will be superior to current chemical batteries. Richard Weir is CEO and President, as well as the inventor. A five-minute charge costing $9 would give the battery enough energy to drive a small car 500 miles. Toronto, Canada-based Feel Good Cars, which operates Zenn Motor has invested $2.5 million in EEStor. EEStor is backed by VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and the company's founders are engineers Richard Weir and Carl Nelson.

Patents; US7033406  Electrical-energy-storage unit (EESU) utilizing ceramic and integrated-circuit technologies for replacement of electrochemical batteries; Weir, et al. (April 25, 2006)

Using this technology it can produce a high energy storage device that is superior to current chemical batteries. EEstor has started construction of new production facilities to bring the product to market.

Richard Weir is CEO and President, as well as the inventor named on their principal technology patent.

Equity funding for the company appears to come predominantly from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

A five-minute charge costing $9 would give the battery enough energy to drive a small car 500 miles.

Toronto, Canada-based Feel Good Cars, which operates Zenn Motor, said in the last week of April, 2007, that it had invested $2.5 million in EEStor.

ZENN Motor Company. As a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of electric vehicles, we thrive on providing drivers with choices, Feel Good Cars, Toronto, Canada, is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of electric vehicles. Driven by quality, ingenuity. 500 miles of commute time on a five minute charge using an electric motor. Rapid recharge rates on electric vehicles are accomplished with special charging stations which have much higher voltage than 120 V.

Clean Vehicle Test - ZENN Motor Co.

This is a video of the Clean Vehicle Test done on the ZENN 2.22LX in Florida.

Just about anyone who has ever considered buying an electric vehicle (EV) and then decided against it cites one fact — and one fact alone — that caused them to rethink the idea. Range. The inability to drive long distances without enduring a five- or six-hour "refuel" has kept many of us out of the EV market. EEStor, a privately held Cedar Park, Texas, company dedicated to the design and manufacturing of high-density storage devices, has taken a major step forward in eradicating this problem.

Those long charging times result from the fact that most EV power systems rely on lithium-ion batteries, which take time to charge. Quick-charging the packs is possible, but this will result in shorter battery life. Neither way works well for the consumer. So the folks at EEStor decided to turn away from traditional battery systems and look toward capacitors, power storage devices that rely on two charged terminals separated by a non-conductive material called a dialectric.

There has been speculation all over the Web these past few months that EEStor had finally "cracked the code" and created an ultra-capacitor that is better than a lithium-ion battery cell in almost every way. It seems that the company has finally done so: On January 17 EEStor announced third-party verification of the dialectric powders needed to make these capacitors.

"This is a very meaningful milestone in terms of production of an ultra-capacitor for use in electric vehicles," noted Ian Clifford, CEO and founder of Zenn Motor Company. Zenn is an electric vehicle producer that holds exclusive rights to use this new technology in vehicles up to 2,645 pounds curb weight, roughly the same as a Honda Accord or Toyota Prius. "It will allow for the commercialization of high-range, high-speed vehicles for mass production," he said, finally making these cars a reality for the general public.

Clifford pointed out that there are presently more than 40 million cars worldwide that fit this weight specification, so the potential uses for this technology are huge. Zenn expects to receive the first capacitor units by the end of the year and will have them in its NEVs (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, meant for around-town driving) by the middle of next year. Zenn is also developing a vehicle using the new capacitors that will be capable of highway speeds and meets all highway safety standards. It is actively seeking dealers to partner with throughout North America.

Unlike regular lithium-ion battery cells, the EEStor ultra-capacitors, or EESUs as they are called, are lighter, more versatile and can be charged and discharged up to a million times.

"To put this in perspective," says Paul Scott, co-founder of Plug In America, "I drive an electric Toyota RAV4 with a 1,000-pound battery that is capable of holding 27 kWh (kilowatt-hours) of power. I could replace my battery with three EESUs, weighing a total of only 300 pounds, that are capable of holding 45 kWhs of power." The additional power and reduced weight would more than double the vehicle's 120-mile range and it would recharge in a matter of minutes off 220 volts, slightly longer when using household 110 volts.

What's more, the EESU power system would not need to be replaced for well over a million miles. If replacement were to ever occur, the units are fully recyclable, and unlike batteries, contain no environmentally harmful compounds, according to Richard Weir, EEStor's president and CEO.

Electric vehicles may have a long way to go in terms of availability and popular acceptance, but with the announcement of EEStor's breakthrough, range will no longer be an issue. With this new technology in place, an all-electric vehicle that is simpler, more efficient and less expensive than a comparable gasoline car may be right around the corner. If Zenn has its way, you'll be able to pick up one of the company's cars at your local dealership, hop in, and drive it cross-country without stopping for longer than it takes to grab a bathroom break and a cup of joe.

New ceramic battery may replace gas engines by 2012