EcoMotors Receives $18 Million Funding Commitment for Turbo Engine

EcoMotors, based in Troy Michigan, announced that Zhongding Holding (Group) Co., Ltd. and Global Optima LLC have signed a letter of intent to provide $18 million in funding. The capital is to be used for the further development of the company’s new engine technology, the opoc engine, also known as the Opposed-Piston Opposed-Cylinder Engine. The new engine offers a new alternative for not only boats, ships and yachts, but also for cars, light trucks, agricultural vehicles, and stationary generation applications.

The engine technology, which EcoMotors reports as proven technology, is said to provide up to 60 percent better fuel efficiency with half the weight of a conventional engine. Besides these features, the engine has 50 percent fewer parts than conventional engines, and is considered less expensive across the board, from manufacturing to operation.

The agreement is not only seen as a major milestone for EcoMotors, but also for the State of Michigan. Underscoring the importance of this agreement were direct comments from Michigan’s Governor, Jennifer M. Granholm. She indicated that advanced manufacturing is an area that Michigan excels in, “One of the economic sectors we’re working to grow is advanced manufacturing, The EcoMotors, Zhongding and Global Optima venture is further evidence that Michigan has the business climate, infrastructure and skilled workforce to compete in the global marketplace.”

One of the reasons the government of Michigan may be pleased is that the investment from China is one more indication that the opoc diesel turbo engine may be the savior of not only the combustion engine, but of Michigan. This new investment in EcoMotors and winning the 2009 prize for the Green Automobiles and Transportation category of the GoingGreen East 50 Awards, are more signs that Michigan and EcoMotors are on the right engine technology development track.

Mr. Xia Dinghu, the Chairman of the Zhongding Holding (Group) Co., Ltd., who was in Michigan for the signing of the agreement, also noted the importance of the agreement for his company, “This initiative with EcoMotors is another milestone in Zhongding’s portfolio of partnerships with premier North-American automotive leaders. We are confident that further development of the remarkable opoc technology will enable the new generations of clean, fuel efficient vehicles that car buyers expect and demand in the years to come. I would also add that this agreement has been facilitated tremendously by the visionary work of Edward Chen and Global Optima LLC of Detroit, our international commercial partner.”

EcoMotors has numbers that says it’s far ahead of existing turbine engine technology. The company gives its opoc engine a specific power rating of about 125, which is approximately fifty percent higher than direct injection turbines, twice as efficient as the intercooled turbo engine and over fives times the aspirated engine.

According to EcoMotors this means that for a given output power level, its engine is 30 percent lighter, one-quarter the size, and has 50 percent better fuel economy than current state-of-the art conventional diesel engines.

Speaking in specifics, EcoMotors points out that its EM100 engine has a 100 millimeter cylinder bore, a dry weight of 296 pounds, a horsepower rating of 325 at 3500 rpm, a torque of 665 pound-feet at 2100 revolutions per minute (rpm) and a power density of 1.1 horsepower per pound. All of which spins around in a volume that measures just 17,420 cubic inches (22.8 X 41.2 X185 inch).

As part of the funding agreement, EcoMotors will not only further develop the EM100D diesel engine, but also develop a smaller gasoline version, the EM65FF.