Comments on: A Chat with Project Better Place Investor, Michael Granoff

By: Shawn Marshall

Shawn Marshall — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:52:33 +0000

Scuse please. To extend range give me a trailer with an ICE and Battery pack so I can go full scale if and when I want. Should cut the price a lot and give me options for sizing the trailer. The trailer could attach in a rigid way that would give essentially me a six wheeler with just an up and down freedom of motion for the trailer.
I’m an optimist- I believe some smart company will do it. They could lease range extending trailers if they want. It’s a transformer in a way.

By: Shawn Marshall

Shawn Marshall — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:46:35 +0000

I’d like to have a Vega/Volt with a 20 mi. range for my local trips.

By: Neutron Flux

Neutron Flux — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:52:32 +0000

Some may call this car a toy but based on things read, it will be in production this year with a price under 20K when sold in the US. Range 111 miles, 62 MPH max speed, battery would be leased for around $150.00/month. What is it : Think City. Would not count on any coming to US any time soon though based on production numbers. If Volt is 35-40K & one of these or the Ox is available for sub 20K it will become the mainstream for most long before Volt & has recharge option of up to 80% < 1 Hour and uses A123 batteries. Google Think City if interested. The Aptera looks nice too excepting it is currently a two seater but would defiantely turn heads and has a series hybrid option & looks to be produced before the Volt in Carlsbad Ca. I like the Volt but if GM can’t get its price down there are other options for those who want to get us off oil ASAP. GM is not the only show in town.

By: doggydogworld

doggydogworld — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:42:29 +0000

Tim, your EREV vs. EV cost numbers are way off. A Volt-equivalent EV with 100 mile range would cost MORE than the Volt. There’s an extra $10k or so in battery cost vs. only a $5k-ish savings from eliminating the ICE/generator.

Your hypothetical non-toy $20k EV-100s might be big sellers, if they existed. The only way to get close to $20k in a non-toy car is to use lead-acid, which needs total replacement every few years. Lifetime car+battery cost is thus more like $40k than $20k.

KariK, here’s what Zenn’s chairman actually said:

“To be very clear, this is not a lab that they are building. It is a full, state of the art production facility that is nearing completion, and we remain very pleased with their progress.”

He did not say devices were already in production. No one, including EEStor customers/investors such as Zenn, Lockheed and Kleiner Perkins, has ever claimed to have seen a working EEStor capacitor.

By: noel park

noel park — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:38:08 +0000

I don’t even know if it’s a Zenn or not, but a local guy here has a Canadian made electric car, and it is the cutest thing you ever saw. Beautifully welded all aluminum frame, ultra thin fiberglass body, everything done to minimize the weight. Even the seats are totally minimalist. They look sort of like high end lawn chairs with elegant aluminum frames. The whole thimg must weigh about 1000#, less batteries.

It’s only a 35 mph, 35 mile range deal, but it is really elegant for what it is. An omen for the future, IMHO. Alas, however, the 35 mi range is a total deal killer for my wife, and I can’t commute in a 35 mph car. Still, it is really cool.