EcoMotors gets $23.5M push from Bill Gates
07-13-2010, 05:56 AM
#1
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EcoMotors gets $23.5M push from Bill Gates
Last Updated: July 13. 2010 1:00AM
EcoMotors gets $23.5M push from Bill Gates, Khosla Ventures
Christine Tierney / The Detroit News
A 2-year-old Michigan startup, EcoMotors International, has obtained a financial vote of confidence from two high-profile investors for a fuel-efficient engine that it's developing.
EcoMotors said Monday that it had secured $23.5 million from Khosla Ventures of Menlo Park, Calif., and technology billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates.
The funds will allow EcoMotors to complete engineering and testing of its Opoc engine, the Troy-based firm said.
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It said the Opoc engine, with a different configuration of pistons and cylinders, is up to 50 percent more fuel-efficient than conventional engines with similar output, and half the weight and size.
With half as many parts as a conventional engine, the Opoc also costs less to manufacture.
"EcoMotors has developed a promising technology that could help reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions in a low-cost, globally relevant way," Gates said in a statement issued by EcoMotors.
"The Opoc engine can be an important step in providing affordable, low-emission transportation for the developing world," he said.
The engine was conceived by Peter Hofbauer, chairman of EcoMotors and formerly head of powertrain development at Volkswagen AG. Hofbauer designed a high-speed diesel engine that served as the foundation for the Jetta Clean Diesel, a winner in the 2009 Green Car of the Year awards.
He is also chief technical officer of EcoMotors, founded in 2008, while Chief Executive Officer Don Runkle was formerly vice president of North American engineering for General Motors and helped to develop the innovative EV1 electric car.
"Opoc is precisely the kind of game-changing innovation that we at Khosla Ventures are passionate about," said Vinod Khosla. He noted that the engine provides environmental benefits without requiring massive subsidies or infrastructure investments. Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, established Khosla Ventures in 2004 to offer assistance and advice to entrepreneurs working on environmentally friendly technologies.
Khosla and Gates will be exclusive holders of Series B shares in EcoMotors.
ctierney@detnews.com Bloomberg News contributed.
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From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20100713/AUTO01/7130336/1148/EcoMotors-gets-$23.5M-push-from-Bill-Gates--Khosla-Ventures#ixzz0tYScLdam
EcoMotors gets $23.5M push from Bill Gates, Khosla Ventures
Christine Tierney / The Detroit News
A 2-year-old Michigan startup, EcoMotors International, has obtained a financial vote of confidence from two high-profile investors for a fuel-efficient engine that it's developing.
EcoMotors said Monday that it had secured $23.5 million from Khosla Ventures of Menlo Park, Calif., and technology billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates.
The funds will allow EcoMotors to complete engineering and testing of its Opoc engine, the Troy-based firm said.
Advertisement
It said the Opoc engine, with a different configuration of pistons and cylinders, is up to 50 percent more fuel-efficient than conventional engines with similar output, and half the weight and size.
With half as many parts as a conventional engine, the Opoc also costs less to manufacture.
"EcoMotors has developed a promising technology that could help reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions in a low-cost, globally relevant way," Gates said in a statement issued by EcoMotors.
"The Opoc engine can be an important step in providing affordable, low-emission transportation for the developing world," he said.
The engine was conceived by Peter Hofbauer, chairman of EcoMotors and formerly head of powertrain development at Volkswagen AG. Hofbauer designed a high-speed diesel engine that served as the foundation for the Jetta Clean Diesel, a winner in the 2009 Green Car of the Year awards.
He is also chief technical officer of EcoMotors, founded in 2008, while Chief Executive Officer Don Runkle was formerly vice president of North American engineering for General Motors and helped to develop the innovative EV1 electric car.
"Opoc is precisely the kind of game-changing innovation that we at Khosla Ventures are passionate about," said Vinod Khosla. He noted that the engine provides environmental benefits without requiring massive subsidies or infrastructure investments. Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, established Khosla Ventures in 2004 to offer assistance and advice to entrepreneurs working on environmentally friendly technologies.
Khosla and Gates will be exclusive holders of Series B shares in EcoMotors.
ctierney@detnews.com Bloomberg News contributed.
*
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20100713/AUTO01/7130336/1148/EcoMotors-gets-$23.5M-push-from-Bill-Gates--Khosla-Ventures#ixzz0tYScLdam
07-13-2010, 05:43 PM
#4
Melting Slicks
Yawn.....
Ok, so now somebody has come up with another "revolutionary" engine...
But as usual, there are a few areas that need more "development" before it all works...
Like how do you cool the upper pistions? Will it last more than 100,000 miles? What about pistion scuffing in the area inboard of the exhaust ports (a cronic problem on 2 cycle engines that have to live a long time at high power).
And, OBTW, with that much reciprocating mass, even though it is opposed so that it is in balance, the forces are huge and it isn't going to spin very fast. You would have to use balance shafts if you did a 4 cyl version, so you have to go to a six to get a balanced version bigger than the two cylinder that you see here.
I will concede that this is better than most of the "nutball" engines in that it is a lot easier to seal (that is the achilies heal of most unique engine concepts), but really, why is it going to revolutionize the world.
It probalby is smoother, but is it less expensive than a typical 4 cyl engine? Well, it's got 4 pistions, six rods (and four of them are pretty big), and no valves, so the costs are probably a wash.
The web site is claiming high power density,,,,, for a diesel... But that isn't going to be close to a good gas engine.
I'm sure it will work, but not sure why it is going to be better than a two stroke diesel with conventional valves (like a Jimmy diesel), so what's the advantage.
Sorry, but I don't see a pony in that pile... Someone please enlighten me.
But as usual, there are a few areas that need more "development" before it all works...
Like how do you cool the upper pistions? Will it last more than 100,000 miles? What about pistion scuffing in the area inboard of the exhaust ports (a cronic problem on 2 cycle engines that have to live a long time at high power).
And, OBTW, with that much reciprocating mass, even though it is opposed so that it is in balance, the forces are huge and it isn't going to spin very fast. You would have to use balance shafts if you did a 4 cyl version, so you have to go to a six to get a balanced version bigger than the two cylinder that you see here.
I will concede that this is better than most of the "nutball" engines in that it is a lot easier to seal (that is the achilies heal of most unique engine concepts), but really, why is it going to revolutionize the world.
It probalby is smoother, but is it less expensive than a typical 4 cyl engine? Well, it's got 4 pistions, six rods (and four of them are pretty big), and no valves, so the costs are probably a wash.
The web site is claiming high power density,,,,, for a diesel... But that isn't going to be close to a good gas engine.
I'm sure it will work, but not sure why it is going to be better than a two stroke diesel with conventional valves (like a Jimmy diesel), so what's the advantage.
Sorry, but I don't see a pony in that pile... Someone please enlighten me.
07-13-2010, 06:59 PM
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valveless engines do save you some HP
going to a two stroke makes more power, provided it can breath
but how much does this thing weigh?
Can it cope with the heat?
going to a two stroke makes more power, provided it can breath
but how much does this thing weigh?
Can it cope with the heat?
