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Bill Gates, Vinod Khosla invest in low-cost, low-emission automotive engine |
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EcoMotors has secured “Series B” funding from two of the most prominent investors it could find, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures and the co-founder of Sun Microsystems, a company acquired recently by Oracle. News reports pegged the amount funded at $23.5 million, though EcoMotors did not comment on the value.   EcoMotors International CEO Don Runkle announced that his company has secured substantial Series B funding, which would be sufficient to complete engineering and testing of the Opposed-Piston Opposed-Cylinder, or OPOC engine. The company said Khosla and Gates invested in the company sharing the belief in the global potential of the opoc technology and its potential disruptive impact on modern transportation emissions because of its cost effectiveness.EcoMotors' website explains its patented design more clearly, saying that it creates a ground-breaking internal combustion engine family that will run on a number of different fuels, including gasoline, diesel and ethanol. The OPOC engine operates on the 2-cycle principle, generating one power stroke per crank revolution per cylinder. It comprises two opposing cylinders per module, with a crankshaft between them, and each cylinder has two pistons moving in opposite directions. This innovative design configuration eliminates the cylinder-head and valve-train components of conventional engines, offering an efficient, compact and simple core engine structure, resulting in a type of engine that is lighter, more efficient and economical, with lower exhaust emissions compared with conventional designs. “OPOC is precisely the kind of game-changing innovation that we at Khosla Ventures are passionate about,” said Khosla. “The only truly disruptive technologies are those that can provide not only payback in months but also economic and carbon benefits to large segments of the world’s population without the need for subsidies or massive infrastructure investments. Among next-generation propulsion systems, the opoc engine is broadly applicable and can provide lower carbon emissions than almost any other technology.”  The opoc architecture of opposed pistons and opposed cylinders provides unparalleled benefits, including High Efficiency: The unique engine architecture – which offers true modular displacement capability — delivers up to 50% greater fuel efficiency compared with conventional engines of similar output, along with a corresponding reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Half the weight and half the size of conventional engines: The opoc engine provides unparalleled power density and flexibility in automobile and truck design as well as other engine applications. Low Cost: With 50% fewer parts than a conventional engine, the opoc is less expensive to manufacture, to purchase, to operate and to tool up. “The opoc engine can be an important step in providing affordable, low-emission transportation for the developing world,” said Gates. “EcoMotors has developed a promising technology that could help reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions in a low-cost, globally relevant way.” The two-year old company was set up in early 2008, and is based in Troy, Michigan. EcoMotors is working to commercialize its opoc engine for use in cars, light trucks, commercial vehicles, aerospace, marine, agriculture, auxiliary power units, generators, etc., more or less anywhere that a conventional gas or diesel powered engine is presently in a use. The company is lead by CEO Don Runkle, who has extensive experience with automotive giant General Motors (GM) where he was chief engineer of Chevrolet, chief engineer of powertrain and racing at the Buick Division, director of Advanced Vehicle Engineering, vice president of GM’s Advanced Engineering Staff and vice president of GM’s North American Engineering Center General Motors. In 1996 he joined Delphi Corporation where he co-led the IPO process for the company. He served as Delphi Vice Chairman until mid-2005. Peter Hofbauer, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of EcoMotors, who also conceived the opoc design, was formerly Head of Powertrain Development at VW, and is credited with having designed the original VW high speed diesel engine that became the foundation for the Jetta Clean Diesel that won 2009 Green Car of the Year honors. EcoMotors is a Khosla Ventures portfolio company. Khosla Ventures was founded in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, who was formerly a General Partner at Kleiner Perkins and founder of Sun Microsystems. Image: Courtesy EcoMotors International |
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