Comments on: U.S. Nanowire Lithium-ion Battery Expert Gets a $10 Million Grant…From Saudi Arabia? http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/ Real-time news, information, and discussion about the Chevrolet Volt. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:55:54 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Doug Atkins http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-75929 Doug Atkins Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:26:16 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-75929 I've commented on all this stuff before. But if the same folks who mucked up our financial system get their hands on this, they'll surely screw it up too. Then they'll be asking for another bailout. I’ve commented on all this stuff before. But if the same folks who mucked up our financial system get their hands on this, they’ll surely screw it up too. Then they’ll be asking for another bailout.

]]> By: Don Harmon http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-37582 Don Harmon Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:04:54 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-37582 I just don't get the last poster's logic? If the Saudis wanted to forestall the development of battery technology why throw $10 M. at a researcher ? That is a pittance for them. If they truly wished to do what you say, the could afford to buy any Patents he has or any real research for whatever they felt it was worth. Conspiracy theorists abound these days, and this kind of speculation just makes no sense. Don Harmon I just don’t get the last poster’s logic? If the Saudis wanted to forestall the development of battery technology why throw $10 M. at a researcher ? That is a pittance for them. If they truly wished to do what you say, the could afford to buy any Patents he has or any real research for whatever they felt it was worth.

Conspiracy theorists abound these days, and this kind of speculation just makes no sense.

Don Harmon

]]> By: dexter bland http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-37581 dexter bland Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:53:38 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-37581 I think people are being naive if they believe that there is no ulterior motive by the Saudis here. They currently control a market worth hundreds of billions, EVs are a direct threat to this market, if only they could beat the range limitations imposed by the battery. Though I'm sure they are bright enough to know that they can't keep this kind of technology in the box for ever, they will do whatever they can to forestall the day of reckoning. As a previous poster pointed out, they only need to push it back by a couple of hours to make this little investment pay off. In deterring others from bringing it to market they will have achieved that. I think people are being naive if they believe that there is no ulterior motive by the Saudis here. They currently control a market worth hundreds of billions, EVs are a direct threat to this market, if only they could beat the range limitations imposed by the battery.

Though I’m sure they are bright enough to know that they can’t keep this kind of technology in the box for ever, they will do whatever they can to forestall the day of reckoning. As a previous poster pointed out, they only need to push it back by a couple of hours to make this little investment pay off. In deterring others from bringing it to market they will have achieved that.

]]> By: JBFALASKA http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-37471 JBFALASKA Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:59:29 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-37471 Take straight aim at this point - electricity is the next oil. The Sauds are already moving in on our electric utility ownership. Check out the behind the scenes ownership of the electric grid through the sovereign funds and the Private Equity funds they use as pawns. Take straight aim at this point – electricity is the next oil. The Sauds are already moving in on our electric utility ownership. Check out the behind the scenes ownership of the electric grid through the sovereign funds and the Private Equity funds they use as pawns.

]]> By: Tod http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-37440 Tod Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:32:22 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-37440 It looks like investing in the future to me. Some day Saudi Arabia will be dry, and they are always looking for ways to retain the growth of wealth after the oil money dries up. I am sure they are looking at the fact that as oil goes up in price, people will be looking for ways to cut the use of oil and come up with other ways of producing energy. They are smart enough to see that by having the control of some of these technologies they will be able to continue to reap the most money out of energy expenditures. This is why oil companies invest in battery tech, and the Saudis invest in nanowire tech. It makes sense. It looks like investing in the future to me. Some day Saudi Arabia will be dry, and they are always looking for ways to retain the growth of wealth after the oil money dries up. I am sure they are looking at the fact that as oil goes up in price, people will be looking for ways to cut the use of oil and come up with other ways of producing energy.

They are smart enough to see that by having the control of some of these technologies they will be able to continue to reap the most money out of energy expenditures.

This is why oil companies invest in battery tech, and the Saudis invest in nanowire tech. It makes sense.

]]> By: Dave99 http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-37201 Dave99 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:16:10 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-37201 I'll admit I didn't read the above messages, so I apologize if this is repeat info... Saudi Arabia is heavily investing in a new University that they hope to rapidly build into a leading research facility. To demonstrate how serious they are about jump-starting this thing, many university students received an email about finishing their degree free of cost (I was one of them). The founding provost is from U-Michigan, while the president comes from Brown University. According to their website, a research alliance is in order with U-Texas at Austin. http://www.kaust.edu.sa/ Apparently, someone in Saudi Arabia is seeing the value of having a top-rated university system. Having anyone spend money to increase research, and subsequently expand our knowledge base, shouldn't be viewed as a negative thing. Although, I hope this stimulates the US to increase our own post-secondary funding to maintain a competitive edge. My last point is seeing technology breakthroughs to market. Many of the battery breakthroughs that US researchers have made were not brought to market through US companies. Instead, companies from Japan had taken the first initiative years ago to solve the packing and implementation solutions... Although I have little hard data to back up this statement, these final sentiments come from one of my professors who does research on batteries. I’ll admit I didn’t read the above messages, so I apologize if this is repeat info…

Saudi Arabia is heavily investing in a new University that they hope to rapidly build into a leading research facility. To demonstrate how serious they are about jump-starting this thing, many university students received an email about finishing their degree free of cost (I was one of them). The founding provost is from U-Michigan, while the president comes from Brown University. According to their website, a research alliance is in order with U-Texas at Austin.

http://www.kaust.edu.sa/

Apparently, someone in Saudi Arabia is seeing the value of having a top-rated university system. Having anyone spend money to increase research, and subsequently expand our knowledge base, shouldn’t be viewed as a negative thing. Although, I hope this stimulates the US to increase our own post-secondary funding to maintain a competitive edge.

My last point is seeing technology breakthroughs to market. Many of the battery breakthroughs that US researchers have made were not brought to market through US companies. Instead, companies from Japan had taken the first initiative years ago to solve the packing and implementation solutions… Although I have little hard data to back up this statement, these final sentiments come from one of my professors who does research on batteries.

]]> By: Don Harmon http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-36896 Don Harmon Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:22:32 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-36896 If only our government would promote battery research like we promote "freedom" the Saudi's would not have the need to take the credit for fossil fuel independence. Dr. Yi's discovery is only a beginning and to take a laboratory experiment and scale it up to a real viable product will take a lot more than $10M. Expect at least 5-7 years and many more millions to get there. In the meantime there are good viable battery solutions already on the market if there becomes a market for Electric Vehicles or PHEV's. Personally I feel that American car makers should be focusing on PHEV's for the next 10 years. www.lifebatt.com If only our government would promote battery research like we promote “freedom” the Saudi’s would not have the need to take the credit for fossil fuel independence. Dr. Yi’s discovery is only a beginning and to take a laboratory experiment and scale it up to a real viable product will take a lot more than $10M. Expect at least 5-7 years and many more millions to get there. In the meantime there are good viable battery solutions already on the market if there becomes a market for Electric Vehicles or PHEV’s. Personally I feel that American car makers should be focusing on PHEV’s for the next 10 years.

http://www.lifebatt.com

]]> By: Glen http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-36895 Glen Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:22:20 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-36895 Lets hold the conspiracy theories to a minimum. There has been a concerted effort in SA and elsewhere in the middle east to improve their Universities. The same goes elsewhere. Universities try and get researchers all the time, in almost every country. If Dr. Cui was enticed by the University of Toronto instead, would we saying that Canada was trying to sabotage or ensnare his discovery to protect the tar sands? Lets hold the conspiracy theories to a minimum. There has been a concerted effort in SA and elsewhere in the middle east to improve their Universities.

The same goes elsewhere. Universities try and get researchers all the time, in almost every country. If Dr. Cui was enticed by the University of Toronto instead, would we saying that Canada was trying to sabotage or ensnare his discovery to protect the tar sands?

]]> By: Don Harmon http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-36893 Don Harmon Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:21:05 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-36893 If only our government would promote battery research like we promote "freedom" the Saudi's would not have the need to take the credit for fossil fuel independence. Dr. Yi's discovery is only a beginning and to take a laboratory experiment and scale it up to a real viable product will take a lot more than $10M. Expect at least 5-7 years and many more millions to get there. In the meantime there are good viable battery solutions already on the market if there becomes a market for Electric Vehicles or PHEV's. Personally I feel that American car makers should be focusing on PHEV's for the next 10 years. If only our government would promote battery research like we promote “freedom” the Saudi’s would not have the need to take the credit for fossil fuel independence. Dr. Yi’s discovery is only a beginning and to take a laboratory experiment and scale it up to a real viable product will take a lot more than $10M. Expect at least 5-7 years and many more millions to get there. In the meantime there are good viable battery solutions already on the market if there becomes a market for Electric Vehicles or PHEV’s. Personally I feel that American car makers should be focusing on PHEV’s for the next 10 years.

]]> By: JonP http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/12/us-silicon-nanowire-battery-expert-gets-a-10-million-grantfrom-saudi-arabia/#comment-36847 JonP Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:05:25 +0000 http://gm-volt.com/?p=1016#comment-36847 Damn the Saudis are cutting out the middle man...... I thought it was the refiner (chevron) who was supposed to buy patents in order to supress technology. Damn the Saudis are cutting out the middle man……

I thought it was the refiner (chevron) who was supposed to buy patents in order to supress technology.

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