A Montana company has found a low-cost, environmentally safe solution
to power electric vehicles for generations to come, thanks to a
technology developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Kalispell, Mont.-based Zinc Air, Inc. (ZAI) has exclusive rights from LLNL for the zinc air fuel cell (U.S.
Patent 5,434,020) invented by John Cooper, a retired LLNL chemist.
Zinc Air technology is now seeing life because of the anticipated
demand for efficient, low-cost alternatives to lithium for electric
vehicle battery production. One of the many benefits of this technology
is that it enables continuous fuel feed while the system is under load,
making it ideal for electronic vehicle and fleet power supply.
This technology on a small scale also may provide portable power as a
generator (1-3 kW) or can be scaled up to provide enough power to
operate high-use fleet vehicles and buses. ZAI is in discussions with multiple fleet vehicle manufacturers to
develop products for their immediate needs. The company is developing and testing their technologies along with full-scale field testing ongoing.
ZAI is a privately held corporation headquartered in Kalispell, MT.
It is focused on the development of sustainable energy storage solutions
for transportation and smart grid applications intended to provide high
levels of efficiency at low costs. ZAI is also committed to providing
the “greenest” battery technology using zinc chemistry, which is
abundant, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. In addition to the
Zinc Air Fuel Cell, ZAI is in the process of developing a grid-scale
storage technology to provide the next generation of batteries for smart
grid applications, which will allow for the integration of wind energy
and other renewable generation. For more information on ZAI, please
contact the company by email at info@zincairinc.com.
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