Thursday, March 30, 2006

Glee!

The news keeps coming about EEStor, the ultracapacitor company I keep cheering about. In this case, an open house in EEStor's native land of Texas. Via Clean Break:
“This is a very sophisticated electric car, with 250 to 300 miles of range,” Richard Weir, CEO, president and co-founder of EEStor said. “It’ll take a full electrical charge in about the time it takes to gas up a regular car. Just plug it up for a few minutes and you’re off.”...

Many auto manufactures experimented with electric cars in the 1980s and 1990s but essentially abandoned the technology for hybrid or other alternative fuel systems due to their high cost of manufacture and maintenance. Weir believes EEStor has overcome those hurdles with their product. “This is just a preview of what’s to come. We have another major announcement for May. But seeing is believing!” he said.
Indeed it is. So far, FGC and EEStor seem to have simply built the ultracapacitor in to the existing ZENN car, making it a 2-person car that can get extremely good range - about what I predicted was possible in with a lighter body, as it turns out. I'm reassured that even when I engage in wild-ass guesses, I don't embarass myself.

Okay, so I'm waiting until late April for the 2nd season of Battlestar Galactica to come out, then May for EEStor's announcement. I can barely contain my glee!

What's really astonishing is that this is first-generation application, and they're already ready for prime time (motor vehicles.) If this technology can be improved significantly (and what industry hasn't found new efficiencies as time goes on?) then we really could soon be talking not about the fuel cell future, but the ultracapcitor one.

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