More Zenn Info...not good!!

[DaveinOlyWA]

http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14754174

link above with the latest on the EV front...lots of info on all kinds of subjects...but one thing that was mentioned that was unpublished previously the launch for the CityZenn (using the eestor tech...will do 80 mph, 250 mile range) is still fall 2009 BUT

initial launch will be in Europe, then Asia, then South America....

US launch as of yet STILL UNDETERMINED

cant tell you how much that messes up my plans.

[Flying White Dutchman]

Woot europe firts for the ZENN car

[markderail]

Can't blame them...if they can sell for a higher sticker price in Euros...

[DaveinOlyWA]

i guess, but estimate of a price "in the low 20's" does sound very attractive...add on perks, if its $25,000 i am all over it....hopefully the market expansion will be quick. being based in Canada, i would hope that they would start at home and spread out first. i wonder if safety regs are playing any part?

[jsawvel]

From what I've read, Zenn is releasing first in Europe because the certification process is "faster" there. It is kind of strange though. The US welcomes the NEC Zenn and Canada won't allow it, but when it comes to the "highway-version" apparently US procedures are more strict.

[Tideland Prius]

Good luck having it start in Canada first. It took forever to have the ZENN approved by the gov't.

[daniel]

Anybody really believe they can market the City Car one year from now, when the key component (the EEStor ultra-capacitor) doe not even exist yet? Let's see: Actually invent the capacitor, test it, design the machinery for mass production, build the production facility, and mass produce the capacitors in time to install them in a car for fall 2009??? And even in Europe they'll have to do safety testing, even if it's less strict than the U.S.

I think ultra-capacitors may very well be the future. But I think it's silly to think they're going to be able to market a car with them in a year from now, when they still have not actually built a prototype of the capacitor.

[DaveinOlyWA]

ultracaps are here and have been for years. the only thing eestor is really doing is increasing the density by making the parts of the cap smaller, then putting it into a much larger package. the technology exists and has existed for quite some time...

only the ability to reliably mass produce the technology has been lacking. the ultracap has to be manufactured with nano scale tolerances. up to now, the ability to accurately reproduce the particles on this scale has been the sticking point. as well all know, having a prototype is no guarantee of a marketable product at an affordable price.

there are actually now several unversities and companies pursuing this angle since eestor's announcement and other breakthroughs of varying degrees have been announced which may only validate that eestor is on the right track.

[daniel]

We may only be arguing about terminology. By "ultra-capacitor" I am referring to capacitors with high enough capacitance to make the announced Zenn City Car possible. I am not aware of a capacitor with high enough capacitance ever having been demonstrated.

But even if the only hurdle is mass producing them, that is not a trivial task, and to announce that a car will be marketed in one year, with such a hurdle still unresolved, is in my opinion dishonest.

We are agreed that this is a very real possibility, and a great hope for the future of electric cars. We only disagree concerning what is a realistic time line for the introduction of a mass-produced car onto the market.

[DaveinOlyWA]

well, the announcement made was supposedly in order to resolve the major "unresolved" issue concerning the process. unfortunately, since that announcement, all information on the next steps to be taken or accomplished, has not been forthcoming.

i would love info on the expected or at least, hoped for timetable for manufacturing, testing, vehicle prototype, etc... now the vehicle thing is really a non-issue as i understand it, the vehicle is ready to be built and has been for a while, just waiting on the power pack.

in fact, both companies have pretty much gone into a non-disclosure mode. now is this in response to several other entities that have also started to develop similar technologies?/ U of Az comes to mind, or is it that things have not developed as they had hoped?

dont know...with eestor being a private company, getting any info on them has been difficult.