Zenn will now focus on acting as a supplier to the auto industry. Working with secretive EEStor, Zenn plans to make an electric drive train, the ZENNergy Drive system, which can deliver those oh-so-controversial performance claims from EEstor: 10 times the energy of lead-acid batteries at one-tenth the weight and half the price, with the ability to move a car 400 kilometers after a 5-minute charge.
Increased competition in the electric vehicle market played a role in Zenn’s decision to not make the cityZENN car.
A press release from Zenn Motor Company.
The EESU is a high-power-density multi-layered barium titanate ceramic ultracapacitor that the companies say is expected to provide energy densities of more than 450 Wh/kg and more than 700 Wh/L; charge in minutes; and have extremely long life
Maxwell Technologies and Energ2 Ultracapacitors
Maxwell ultracapacitors are to be used to power stop-start systems, which turn off the internal combustion engine when the vehicle slows or coasts. When the driver accelerates, the ultracapacitor provides bursts of power to re-start the engine, minimizing fuel use and relieving the vehicle’s battery of high currents and repeated cycling that can shorten battery life. “It can improve fuel efficiency on a basic level in the 5 to 10 percent range,” Sund said. “In heavy stop-start urban driving, it could get up to 20 percent or more savings.”
Seattle startup EnerG2 plans to begin shipping ultracapacitors this year for electric rail systems and heavy-duty vehicles. Energ2 article from Venturebeat in late 2008
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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