Is the EEStor Saga Finished?

greentechmedia ^ | 12/01/10 | Eric Wesoff

[dangerdoc]

EEStor is the urban legend of a startup that is said to be building a supercapacitor material that would store more energy and charge and discharge faster than previous materials by a factor of ten. If true, it could change the technology of electric vehicle charging and utility-scale energy storage.

We've made repeated attempts to contact the company and its CEO, Dick Weir, to no avail. Here is some of our EEStor coverage from last year, which includes a musical lament. The firm's website is no longer online and the usual fevered musings of the EEStor blogosphere have slowed.

Here's an abbreviated timeline of the firm's financial and partnership activity:

Kleiner Perkins invested several million in EEStor in 2005. They don't admit to the investment on their website. ZENN Motors, a Canadian EV manufacturer, invested $2.5 million in EEStor in 2007. ZENN invested another $5 million for a 10.7% stake in 2009. ZENN is publicly held but barely alive as a going concern. Lockheed-Martin signed an agreement with EEStor for the rights to integrate and market EESU units in military and security applications but did not invest any money. A source sent me some documents from an FOIA request from the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) at Kirtland. They seem to indicate that the AFRL is puzzled over EEStor's story and unwilling to be associated with the firm. The redacted documents follow. Note the comment that EEStor is "full of it."

[dangerdoc]

This has been discussed from time to time here in the past and a few people seemed to be interested. There are multiple redacted government documents included.

[thackney]

[RobRoy]

Just because American Motors went away, it doesn’t mean cars are a bad idea.

[dangerdoc]

Just because it’s a good idea doesn’t mean the science was good.

[wolf78]

Just because American Motors went away, it doesn’t mean cars are a bad idea.

Just because it’s a good idea doesn’t mean the science was good.

EEStor was not the only one researching better capacitors: Graphene-based supercapacitor offers energy density comparable to NiMH battery, but with rapid charge and discharge

It might take a bit longer, but after centuries of snake oil we also have cured the Syphillis and eradicated Polio.

[RobRoy]

>>It might take a bit longer, but after centuries of snake oil we also have cured the Syphillis and eradicated Polio.<<

Your analogy is better than mine.

[dangerdoc]

Time will tell if they ever are able to bring a product to market. Energy density comparable to lithium batteries is great for a capacitor but we really need something an order of magnitude greater. Lithium is no longer adequate for the new generations of electronic devices and has never been adequate for a car.

[wolf78]

Time will tell if they ever are able to bring a product to market. Energy density comparable to lithium batteries is great for a capacitor but we really need something an order of magnitude greater. Lithium is no longer adequate for the new generations of electronic devices and has never been adequate for a car.

That's the great thing about markets:

a.) EEStor doesn't seem to be able to deliver. But over time someone will. Competition drives progress.

b.) Markets don't require one-to-one replacements. 200 miles of range and a recharge time of around a minute would be fine with maybe 80% of all drivers.. Not 100%, but enough to make such a product comercially viable (if the price is right).

[dangerdoc]

“a.) EEStor doesn’t seem to be able to deliver. But over time someone will. Competition drives progress.”

Unless it is physically not possible as a number of super capacitor engineers have been saying.

“b.) Markets don’t require one-to-one replacements. 200 miles of range and a recharge time of around a minute would be fine with maybe 80% of all drivers.. Not 100%, but enough to make such a product comercially viable (if the price is right).”

Except nobody has a 200 mile battery range. They are talking 40 mile range for cars costing less than $50,000 and about a hundred miles for the $100,000 models.

[dangerdoc]

I noticed you guys on previous eestor threads. This is the latest I have found for the company.

[decimon]

Thanks. I hope some similar technology pans out. With this, even solar and wind energy might find an honest niche.

[dangerdoc]

http://www.physorg.com/news155569564.html

This is just one posible implementation but liquid batteries offer the potential to store electricity on an industrial level.

[SunkenCiv]

...a startup that is said to be building a supercapacitor material that would store more energy and charge and discharge faster than previous materials by a factor of ten. If true, it could change the technology of electric vehicle charging and utility-scale energy storage.

Thanks dangerdoc.