Texas Emerging Technology Fund awards KLD Energy Technologies $2.8M to support commercialization of electric drive system
05 January 2011
KLD Energy Technologies Inc. (KLD), developers of high-performance electric motor technology (earlier post), was selected by the State of Texas to receive $2.8 million in funding from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF). The company will leverage the funding to accelerate the commercialization of its high-performance electric drive system, execute its expansion strategy and introduce its products to new markets.
KLD’s initial product is a complete motor system for electric vehicles. The transmissionless, electric drive system improves the performance of vehicles while substantially decreasing the negative impact on the environment, according to the company.
Leveraging an innovative composite material, the drive system conducts energy with greater efficiency than traditional, iron-core motors. The drive system is designed for high frequency and low-RPM operations. This proprietary approach eliminates the need for a transmission, resulting in a substantial increase in system efficiency.
KLD’s motor works in tandem with its advanced electric motor controller and modular battery packs. The result is a system enabling electric vehicles to perform at an advanced level, and attain speeds and levels of responsiveness comparable to today’s gas-powered vehicles.
As an example, the KLD D1166 electric drive system for scooters integrates a an electric motor (4.8 kW power continuous, 137.5 N·m peak torque, maximum speed 1050 rpm); a 1.4 kWh battery pack; and KLD motor controller. The drive system consumes an average 22 Wh/km at 30 km/h (GVW: 200 kg).
Recently, KLD signed a collaboration agreement with Australia-based Vmoto Limited, an integrated scooter manufacturing and distribution company, to bring a new generation of electric scooters and motorcycles to market.
Vmoto, which recently acquired German electric scooter manufacturer E-max, and serves as the exclusive original equipment manufacturer for New Bedford, Massachusetts-based Vectrix Corporation’s VX2 motor scooter, will be researching and testing the implementation of KLD’s drive system into its electric vehicles.
KLD also recently signed an agreement to provide the KLD drive system to Malaysia-based EcLimo, a leading vehicle manufacturer. Additionally, the company is collaborating with several major Chinese companies to incorporate the drive system into their vehicles.
Dead link to KLD Energy Technologies, in the artile.
Posted by: danm | 05 January 2011 at 06:57 AM
Fixed link.
The weight figures are unimpressive: 22 kg for a motor producing 4.8 kW continuous. That's a lot of unsprung weight for something as small as a scooter. KLD needs to get the excess mass out of their system, like about 5/6 of it.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 05 January 2011 at 09:14 AM
Toyota's brush less AC e-motors already have a power to weight ratio of 1.37 KW/KG. That's about 6.2 times better than above.
Posted by: HarveyD | 06 January 2011 at 11:56 AM