creativforce

Zenn Motors: Speculative Battery Startup

The biggest danger for EESTOR investors , if it is real, is in the company being engulfed and devoured by an oil company. They don't like threats to their product. The only reason we have hybrid cars today is because Toyota bought a license to produce NIMH batteries before Texaco/Chevron saw what was happening and devoured the Ovonic battery patents.

One reason to remain in stealth mode is to accept a king's ransom from oil companies to NOT introduce the product for a decade or so. Is their oil money behind the Kleiner Perkins investments? Or more likely oil money behind the Lockheed Martin agreement?

Read all about it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Main article: Patent encumbrance of large automotive NiMH batteries

Critics claim that large-format NiMH batteries were commercially viable and ready for mass production, but Chevron and other oil-related interests suppressed the technology to forestall the introduction of plug-in hybrids.[40]

In her book, Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that Will Recharge America, published in February 2007, Sherry Boschert argues that large-format NiMH batteries are commercially viable but that Cobasys refuses to sell or license them to small companies or individuals.Boschert concludes that "it's possible that Cobasys (Chevron) is squelching all access to large NiMH batteries through its control of patent licenses in order to remove a competitor to gasoline. Or it's possible that Cobasys simply wants the market for itself and is waiting for a major automaker to start producing plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles." [41]

In an interview with the Economist, Stan Ovshinsky stated, "I think we at ECD we made a mistake of having a joint venture with an oil company, frankly speaking. And I think it’s not a good idea to go into business with somebody whose strategies would put you out of business, rather than building the business.[42]" In a later interview, however, when asked, "So it’s your opinion that Cobasys is preventing other people from making it for that reason?", he responded "Cobasys is not preventing anybody. Cobasys just needs an infusion of cash.".[43]

In October 2007, International Acquisitions Services, Inc., Innovative Transportation Systems AG and Neville Chamberlain filed suit against Cobasys and its parents for refusing to fill a large, previously agreed-upon order for large-format NiMH batteries to be used in the electric Innovan. [44]

Do We Need an Alternative Energy 'Manhattan Project'?

America could easily be energy independent in ten years by aggressively prosecuting oil companies that are squashing existing technology. They say we can't drive electric cars because the technology is too expensive, because the battery doesn't exist, because blah blah blah blah. I can build a goddam electric car in my back yard for under $8000, but I can't buy the Cobasys NIMH battery that powered the EV1 in California because Chevron bought it and won't sell itt to anyone. They won't even fulfill their contract with Daimler who is currently sueing them. But they don't care about lawsuits, they make more money each day that the battery is not available than they'll ever lose in a lawsuit.