GM Playing Nice with EEStor

Vie EcoGeek.org

Super-stealth battery maker EEStor hasn't been inspiring a lot of confidence among traditional industry types. People seem a lot more comfortable depending on upgrades to existing lithium-ion technology than placing their faith in a company that promises amazing results with a device that no one has yet seen.

So we all get very excited, yet very skeptical when we hear about EEStor. But we are happy when we hear that big companies (like Lockheed Martin) are working with EEStor.

The news around EEStor got a little brighter for me when Lyle Dennis from GM-Volt.com asked GM's head of battery research, Denise Gray, about the stealth company. She said that GM had communicated with them a good deal, but stopped short of saying that they'd seen a prototype, saying that that was confidential. The transcript is below the fold, but I was lucky enough to have the camera running and we'll have the video up shortly.

EEStor's "electrical power storage unit" (it's not technically a battery) is promised to be 10x lighter than a lithium ion battery, store more power, charge in minutes and come in at half the cost. And while that sounds like the sort of technology that would solve all kinds of ecogeeky problems (from power storage for renewable energy to cheap electric cars) no one has yet seen a working prototype, much less a factory producing them.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• eestor
• gm
• batteries
• general motors
• chevy volt

[BrooklynNYC777]

i like her.............

[marcheseDS]

I think EEstor is cheating and Zenn is covering them to cover themselves until they found a plan B, because now they are so involved with them that one's fall will drag down the other. I hope I'm wrong on this because I would enjoy a cheap electric car with long range capabilities...

[Dragonkrux]

like i said dude, its zenn's fault for fumbling the ball. eestor should have thought about doing the same thing zenn is for themselves, cutting out the middle man. it'd be out on the street for us already. for whatever reason zenn is being lame.

[Maorisidol]

What ever happened to the Ralph Sarich designed Orbital Engine?

[Pv8man]

The ultra capacitor is NO JOKE

It is possible to store energy of that density.

But ever since Lockhead Martin paid them a visit and signed an exclusivity contract with EEstor, things have been very quiet and very slow.

They will only want it produced for military purposes, (like every other fucking energy invention).

It WILL NOT be released to the consumers,

Certain special interests will do whatever it takes to make sure this technology does not fall into the hands of consumers.

[TheScorpionSquad]

@ElwynMaximus

and don't forget the flying car. That has been just 'ready for release' for the last twenty years or so....

[ElwynMaximus]

I'll believe it when I see it. Incredible claims require incredible evidence, and Eestor isn't showing us anything.

Remember "IT"? The Segway was going to change the way we live. Didn't happen.

[msmustache1]

You all missed a key comment. after a few questions, she remarks that she probably shouldn't say if she has received prototypes or not, that she is bound by non disclosure agreements to not say. she is smarter than she comes off to be, and almost implies she is not truthful about her initial denial regarding receipt of prototypes!!

[Teratornis]

The video description says "store more power", but that is incorrect. Power is energy per unit time and cannot be stored. The description should say "store more energy". However, capacitors can both store and release energy faster than batteries, giving them more power in both directions.

[anadultmale]

EEstor just passed the testing by Zenn Motors. It's real! All 31 farads! i = c * ^v /^d for those that know the formula for capacitors.