ZENN is a leading developer, manufacture and supplier of the world’s first zero-emission vehicles. Until recently the widespread acceptance of electric vehicles has been unattainable because of the limitation of the battery- inefficient, expensive, and susceptible to temperature fluctuations.  That is until the ZENN met EEStor a Texas company that developed a EESU (electrical storage unit) capable of propelling a vehicle 400 km on a single 5 minute charge. ZENN was so impressed; they bought 10.7% of the company.

Rather than competing head-on with traditional manufacturers, ZENN plans to work with them by making their drive train technology available for sale and licensing.  This, they hope is a far better strategy and should make wide spread sales and adaptation much easier.

Unlike traditional batteries, the EESU is not a chemical energy storage device but a solid state storage device, a unique way of storing energy. They can store large amounts of energy and because they are not chemical, they are a permanent energy storage device- they don’t wear out.  They also boast very little toxicity compared to conventional batteries.  In the event that one of the EESU has to be taken out of service, the material can be reprocessed. Not only does ZENN have an agreement to use EESU in their vehicles, they also have world wide rights to all aftermarket conversions of any internal combustion vehicles to an electric drive that uses EESU technology.  The only thing ZENN doesn’t have rights to is military applications – which was already taken by Lockheed Martin.

In the mid 90s, ZENN’s founder Ian Clifford had a moment of revelation one day while sitting in a traffic jam in Toronto inside his SUV.  “Am I completely out of my mind?”  When Ian started looking for an electric car to purchase he came across a 40 year old reno’d Renault Dauphine that a guy had been driving for 35 years.  It proved to him that electric cars are in fact a viable mode of transportation an immediately fell in love with it and the guilt free conscience that came along with it.

This comes about at a great time, as it looks like the idea of an electric car finally has enough technology and momentum behind it to finally achieve widespread use and adaptation.  Environmental concerns have been at the forefront and the electric car is seen as one of the ways to help save the planet.  In rapidly developing China, there existing electrical infrastructure is suited far better to electric cars compared to gas, which is unavailable in much of the countryside.  China has also expressed a lot of concern over the massive amounts of smog already in the country.  China has pledged rebates, tax cuts, and policies to help speed the implementation of electric cars.  The Obama administration recently investing $2.4 billion for electric car and hybrid technologies.  Any talk is certainly backed by money.

This of course, isn’t the first time a company has tried to sell an electric car.  Ford saw some limited success with the EVI in the early 90s as did Toyota with the Rav4.  Today there are a few more hybrids like the Prius and the electric Chevy Volt.  However, these cars have been limited by the extremely expensive and inefficient batteries and the requirement of an overnight charge.  If proven, the technology behind the ZENN could be a huge step forward and be the needed catalyst for an electric car revolution.

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