KLD Energy completes $10M convertible debt offering, bringing total capital raised to almost $26M
11 November 2011
KLD Energy Technologies has successfully completed a major debt offering; the company has raised nearly $26 million in capital since its incorporation in August 2008, about half of that in the past year.
KLD expects to use funds from the debt offering for further, multi-industry development of the company’s high-performance electric motor system; research and introduction of new products; and global expansion.
Mark Wabschall, KLD’s chief financial officer, said that the company is also in “advanced discussions” with several major institutional investors that have expressed strong interest in investing at least $20 million in the company.
KLD’s first production-ready technology is a new electric motor system, with initial commercial application in electric scooters and motorcycles.
KLD system’s entirely integrates a new electric-motor platform with the battery pack and motor controller, resulting in enhanced performance, including efficiency and torque. The system operates at much higher frequencies than traditional iron-core electric motors, so it doesn’t require a transmission in motorbikes and other vehicles. The direct-drive motor captures and regenerates kinetic energy on hills and in stop-and-go traffic, and is expandable for more power and speed. A battery laminate extends battery life and reduces the cost of service.
Today, KLD has commercial agreements with Eclimo Sdn Bhd of Malaysia and Australia-based Vmoto Ltd., both of which will use the motor system in their electric motorbikes. KLD has a contract-manufacturing agreement with China’s Zhejiang Qianjiang Motorcycle Co. Ltd., one of the world’s largest motorcycle and motorcycle-engine manufacturing companies, which also plans to incorporate the system in its own products.
Integrated e-motor systems operating at higher frequencies can perform better without transmission, should be much lighter and should cost less to manufacture. Those three inherent attributes could lower the initial cost of most future HEVs-PHEVs and BEVs.
Posted by: HarveyD | 11 November 2011 at 01:50 PM
This begs the question of whether the technology is suitable for larger in-wheel motors. If it can be used on automobiles, there's potential for radical change; getting rid of driveshafts and differentials allows designs closer to fantasy toys than consumer products practical today.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 11 November 2011 at 03:18 PM