Archives

2007 a bit off for Kleiner Perkins' green-tech portfolio. (http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9837301-54.html?tag=nefd.top)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/EEstor_002.jpgMichael Kanellos – CNET News – Dec. 21, 2007

With GM removing EESTOR from the VOLT’s supplier list early on, let us hope EESTOR improves upon its almost unlimited SuperCap like Energy Storage unit release date in the very near future. -- Ed.

The superheroes of venture capital haven't exactly had a completely smooth year in green tech.

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers wasn't the first VC firm to get into green tech. Nth Power, NGEN Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Mohr Davidow Ventures got there first, but Kleiner brought a lot of attention and prestige into the field, and helped push green tech toward the top of the VC agenda in the second half of 2004.

The firm also began to put money into a lot of companies with a pretty good amount of fanfare. John Doerr even cried in public at the TED conference to show his commitment.

This year, though, came with its rough patches.

For one thing, some of the firm's portfolio companies suffered setbacks. Thin-film solar-panel maker Miasole had to delay production and swap CEOs. Rumors that the company laid off 40 employees was confirmed by three former Miasole employees, according to Greentech Media. The Web site also said founder Dave Pearce may have left the company.

Similarly, supersecretive EEStor (another portfolio company) delayed production (http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9770849-7.html). Board member and Dell alum Mort Topfer also left the board, according to reports.

Mascoma, the cellulosic-ethanol maker, fared better. It landed grants with Michigan and Tennessee to build plants in those states, but its first plant, in New York, will come on line about a year late… http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9837301-54.html?tag=nefd.top

What's the price going to be on that one? When they come up with an electric car that recharges in the same amount of time it takes to refill mine and which can go basically the same distance on a charge as mine does on a tank of gas ... I'm going ZEV!

You and me both, A2TL!! As long as the price is reasonable, anyway. I really like the eBox but no way do I have $85K laying around for one of those -- if these are going to be similarly expensive they'll be out of reach for me as well.

I'd buy a car (at a reasonable price) that did all that too, but I guess the quick charging station would have to be a big capacitor too because I don't have the 5,000 spare amps of service in my electrical box to charge it in 5 minutes. No harm in dreaming though....

Hmmm... so could you use a slow charger to charge up a supercap in the quick fill station while the car is not connected to it?

Seems like a way charge up a charging station for home use while your away. Intresting :)

IF this was true how is the electric grid going to even support the infrastructure when the market soars?

aren't the efficiencies of the electric charger to the battery are diminished when quick charge is involved? like battery internal resistance?

I'm guessing thats why you would use a capacitor to quick charge. Almost perfect efficentcy

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2008/010908_LockheedMartinSignsAgreement.html

EEStor now has Locheed Martin signed up as an exclusive integrator of their storage units for use in military and homeland security applications. Signing up a major company like LMT helps give the secretive EEStor quite a bit more credibility than they get from Zenn.


And contrary to the story in the original post, Dell alum Mort Topher did not leave the EEStor board of directors, he joined it. (press release (http://www.feelgoodcars.com/media/images_media/EEStor,%20Inc.%20is%20Pleased%20to%20Announce%20that%20Morton%20L.%20Topfer%20has%20Joined%20the%20EEStor,%20Inc.%20Board%20of%20Directors.pdf))

Hi Amann1:

___Your hidden. Can you change it in your profile please?

EEStor should talk (http://tyler.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2007/11/1/3328442.html)

___Scroll to the bottom.

___About real world realities. When GM was looking for a power storage solution for the Volt, they originally had 27 vendors of which EEstor was one. The first cut removed 18 of those 27. EEstor was one of the 18 let go in the first cut. They simply did not have anything to show but lab reports.

___My hope and wish is it works as good or better then what we have all been reading the past 2 years.

___Our reality, nothing to show for the hype yet :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Just watched the news, and they are talking $1.50 per ltr. by summer in Canada. I hope they get with it on these cars!