ElectraDrive Wins $100,000 Clean Tech Prize
The Clean Tech 2008 prize for transportation has gone to San Francisco's own ElectraDrive. Not only do they win a $100,000 prize for development, but they have also been given a year's free rent at a business incubator.
ElectraDrive's plan is to "enable the rapid conversion of existing cars and light trucks to electric or extended-range electric drive. By doing so, we aim to open up the huge market of existing vehicles to electric conversion. Preliminary customers will be government fleets and a small but growing number of private consumers."
In other words, they convert gas vehicles to electric vehicles. The strategy is to begin with fleet leasing companies (economy of scale.)
ElectraDrive's CEO is Fraser Murison Smith, a utility specialist and veteran of several high-tech start-ups, with a PhD in mathematical biology from Oxford University. ElectraDrive's CMO is Ray Jenks, who brings 20 years' experience in marketing, sales and business development in high-tech and real estate. Jon Derickson is the company's consulting engineer, with 15 years' RD&D experience on hybrid-electric drivetrains for military applications.