Volkswagon Group, the world’s third largest car manufacturer is looking to Israel for cutting-edge technologies for its cars. We take a look at four technologies Volkswagon should consider. Image via Mike Babcock.
Ynet is reporting that the Volkswagon Group, made up of SEAT, Skoda and Lamborghini and others, has hired an Israeli company founded by former minister Yossi Beilin to assist it in its search for Israeli tech companies to work with.
According to the article, Volkswagon, which is the third largest car manufacturer in the world after General Motors and Toyota, is presumably looking at Israeli companies that can help it develop an electric car: “One of the areas in which the technology industries in Israel could aid The Volkswagen Group is in developing the electric car. On Tuesday, Volkswagen announced plans to launch sites around the world to develop electric cars, at an investment of five billion euro.”< Here's four Israeli technologies that can help Volkswagon with its electric car and other green efforts:
1. Z5
Developed by Zion Badash when he was just 16, the the $208 Z5 is a small device that, once connected to a car’s engine, can reduce gas consumption by 40% and give the car more power. The z5 has attracted the attention of several large car manufacturers around the world that are interested in adding it directly to their vehicles, including Ford and Mazda. The device is currently available online through the Z5 website.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Ded9eoxIM[/youtube]
2. ETV
ETV has created a new jet turbine engine that generates electricity that can recharge the battery pack. Different from other hybrid cars,
“it’s always electric power that powers the wheels, whereas with the Prius, sometimes it’s electric power, sometimes it’s the energy generated by the pistons,” says Arnold Roth, COO of ETV.
The company is made up of several engineers from the former Soviet Union who played a significant role in the Russian jet turbine industry.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR6SeLkQbmw[/youtube]
3. Silicon-powered Battery
A professor at the Technion-Israel Institute of Science published last year his research on a new portable electrochemical battery that can generate thousands of hours of electricity using silicon, an environment-friendly fuel source. The technology is currently several years away, but can eventually be used in the batteries of electric cars.
4. Piston-less turbine engine
Agam Energy Systems has developed a piston-less turbine engine. Using a new kind of compressor, the liquid gas turbine-like engine consumes 1/5 of the fuel while releasing only a tenth of the emissions.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enJ-3gEYozU[/youtube]
Author: Lisa Damast
Lisa Damast is an online marketing consultant by day and blogger of Israel technology by night. Her blog, Israel Innovation 2.0, provides news and analysis of Israeli technology companies in the enterprise software, Web 2.0 and cleantech sectors. Lisa is also a co-organizer of the Jerusalem Business Networking Forum (JBNF). JBNF helps facilitate online and offline networking among business professionals in Jerusalem, including in the cleantech industry. Lisa made aliyah in August 2007 after receiving a degree in Communication Studies from Boston University in May 2007. Lisa can be reached at lisa (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
