If the ESStor ESSU's, with an energy density of 450+ Wh/Kg materialize and is mass produced at an affordable price, it will replace most light ICE vehicles, HEVs and PHEVs within 10 to 20 years.

If it can be built, this is an area where the Federal government should invest massively to accellerate mass production and lower cost.

Another $25B would be justified.

Lightev? Who the heck are they? Production now moved back to mid-2009. More delays. This is vaporware.

The EEStor device is not yet in operation. It may some day become a product but so far has nothing to show.

My suggestion to both Zenn and LightEVs is to develop vehicles using alternative off the shelf electrical storage systems that will be viable and useful to consumers.
These can and should be made such that upgrading to the EEStor device will be an easy and practical upgrade at such time as the EEStor device is in production.

If the EESTOR EESU is real, why are they messing around with small potatoes? Every major auto manufacturer should be bidding for the rights to use these in an electric car.

All I can say is: SUCKERS!!!!!!!

ROFLMAO!!! If they have a technology that could even REMOTELY do what they say it can do, it's worth BILLIONS upon BILLIONS upon BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!

If you had a battery/capacitor/loaf of bread/ANYTHING that could do all they claim, and was clearly worth BILLIONS of DOLLARS, would you sell off world wide rights for a couple million dollars to some little company for major markets like this? Pretend for a second that you're EESTOR. Would you do that? OF COURSE NOT.

These guys are just looking for somebody else to keep dumping enough money in them to keep the doors open while they hope for a miracle. They probably mean well, but all they have is little pile of powder that is really pure. SO????? Make even a single capacitor out of it guys. I dare you. What? Where is it? ROFL

SUCKERS!!!!!!

I'm not criticizing them for their goals. They probably mean very well. But why are they acting like PT BARNUM??? Can't they just produce a product like everyone else and then go to market?

@ John T:

I can see where you're coming from. But remember, EEStor is getting venture capital from Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, a major, major silicon valley venture capital firm. They also have agreements / contracts with Lockheed Martin and Zenn Motorcars, even though they have no product to demonstrate to the general public yet. Also, they have already patented their technology and are most likely getting advice from attorneys on what else to patent & protect.

Who knows why things are taking so long for them to get up and running. Maybe they're waiting for the election for some reason. Maybe they want to run every test imaginable on their product so they can license the manufacturing technology to other companies for big $$$. Maybe it's a complete hoax....guess we'll find out eventually.

I want to believe that EEStor are legit. I really do. But this is now the second "worldwide exclusive" deal they've done with a tiny company that offers little or no added value to their supply chain. Why would a company with a such a game changing product give up that margin?

Kleiner Perkins described EEStor as a "moonshot". Doesn't look like they're gonna get off the launch pad.

Jeff

Precisely a lot of sensible persons in the field question the physics of what they claim, and everybody who looked at their patent can't get the power density they claim using simple calculation. Even if the all thing is theoritically possible and they face difficulties, it is a scam to claim that you can do something when you don't have enough evidence that you can do it. But I think you are right when you say that these multiple deals they keep signing around is just to attract money and keep selling illusion.

Recently one manager who left the company said that i seriously doubt that they will deliver what they claim, and how could they ? what material can support 1KV through 50 microns ?

Weren't we all saying the same thing about Altairnano's claims a couple of years back??

Now here we are with production packs at 5 kW/kg, 90 Wh/kg, 5 minute recharge, thousands of cycles longevity etc etc.

Is Altair the real EESTOR!?

HarveyD,

The problem with central planning is that Congressmen are not economists or engineers. They do not have the understanding or the processing capability to determine an efficient economic solution. That's why free markets work. IF this ultracapacitor ends up being the real deal... GM, GE, Shell, Exxon, BP, or any number of companies with Billions of dollars in cash will buy this company and mass produce this product. The government can affect markets, but their decisions lack any sort of Pareto efficiency in the market.

If this product is everything it claims to be, you will see it in the market. As long as companies remain profit motivated, the best solution will occur.

Bryan:

Leaving everything to the market place has its drawbacks. Sooner or latter it becomes closer to a Monopoly Game and we will have 1929 and 3-miles Island all over again.

Certain things have to be regulated (to avoid super-speculation and financial crisis like we have now) and others have to be selectively promoted for the good of the nation and the people.

Examples:

1) Accellerated electrification of most transportation vehicles and HVAC to reduce oil consumption and GHG.

2) Affordable local advanced batteries and e-vehicle mass production to maintain home jobs and reduce the trade deficit.

3) Local clean electric energy production and distribution to support 1) and 2) above, reduce GHG and trade deficit.

The proper mix of free market and essential government regualtions and interferences may be more sustainable.

As far as the public/private debate, the government has usually done what ever the private sector has not wanted to do, but needs to be done. VA/FHA/SBA, student loans, Medicare....banks and insurance companies in the private sector will not touch them, but they need to be done. VA helps provide affordable housing for veterans and their families, SBA provides backed loans for business, Medicare provides health care for older people that private insurance companies would never insure... and on and on.

Harvey,

I don't think that our government has done anything to prove they are more socially responsible than corporations. Non-elected government beaurocrats don't have shareholders to answer to. I don't mean to sound crazy, but aren't there a lot of shady things the federal government has done that it has covered up?

Many corporations care much more now about their image, due to the nature of the speed of information. Just look how companies like GE, GM, and BP are investing in 'green' technologies.