ELIX Wireless has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Chongqing Zongshen Power Machinery Co Ltd., a listed entity of the Zongshen Group. Zongshen Power also acted as the lead investor in ELIX's US$5M A-Round of investment. Manufacturing of the ELIX chargers will move to China.
The investment will be used to finalize the development of the E8K chargers, and to strengthen the team, especially in the areas of engineering and supply chain. These hires will help to ensure that ELIX can meet its goals to ensure mass availability of its 8-, 4-, and 1-kWt wireless chargers by the end of 2017, in time to save Tesla 3 owners the hassle of plugging in their cars.
“Zongshen bring unparalleled engineering and manufacturing experience to the company. Whereas ELIX has one of the best R&D teams in Canada, it would have taken years to scale up manufacturing, as we could not find that kind of manufacturing expertise in Canada. By teaming up with Zongshen, ELIX will be able to enter the market much fasterâ€, said ELIX CEO Ms. Rosalie Hou.
Zongshen founder, Mr. Zuo Zongshen added “We have grown Zongshen to a multi-billion dollar company based on carbon engines, but the Chinese market is making a rapid turn towards electrical transportation. By investing in electric vehicle (EV) technology Zongshen will stay at the forefront of the transportation industry. ELIX is the only safe way to charge large numbers of electrical vehicles in public spaces, so we expect China to adopt this technology on a massive scale.â€
Founder and Chairman of ELIX Frank Christiaens explains why Zongshen was the right partner: “Zongshen Group is not an unknown entity in Canada. They previously acquired 49 percent of Harbour Air, a company that is consistently voted to be one of the best companies to work for in Canada. It is that unique investment track record that made us comfortable with, and proud of, teaming up with visionary entrepreneur Mr. Zuo Zongshen.
ELIX uses a patented Magneto-Dynamic Coupling (MDC) technology that operates at a frequency of 80- to 400-Hz, 1000-times lower than a resonant inductive system. ELIX MDC technology uses the interaction between magnetic fields to create a “remote magnetic gear†system with full 360-degree freedom of orientation.
MDC is an inherently low-frequency technology, meaning it produces much less electromagnetic interference (EMI) than a high-frequency system. It also generates much less heat and loss in nearby materials, meaning it can be used in a wide range of conditions. MDC is naturally suited for underwater applications and it can even send power through metal. MDC is well-suited for use in hazardous environments as the ELIX system does not rely on electrical contact between the self-contained units.
The company’s wireless charging systems are targeted at applications in transportation, mining, material handling, oil & gas, implanted medical devices and autonomous vehicles. ELIX technology sets itself apart from traditional inductive charging through a number of unique characteristics: the almost total absence of electro-magnetic radiation, making ELIX the safest technology for public and medical charging; a reduced cost per Watt when scaling the chargers to higher power levels, making ELIX a suitable charging mechanism for electric buses and cars; and the high efficiency of its transmission, making ELIX also suitable for higher power levels.
