After covering the unveiling of Damon Motorcycles first electric models in 2019, I’ve seen the company promise repeatedly that its bikes are still coming. Now that we’re entering the sixth year of coverage, Damon says it’s serious this time. And the company is now showing off a new partnership that could help it cruise closer to manufacturing.
The latest update on Damon’s winding road that presumably leads to production is the announcement of a new battery partner. Damon has just shared the news at CES, detailing how E-One Moli Energy Corp’s tech will see Molicell batteries land in its HyperSport electric motorcycles.
As the company shared, the partnership is expected to help Damon’s bikes “deliver more range, higher power, and shorter charge times than industry competitors.”
“Molicel’s innovative and superior battery technology will further position Damon at the leading edge of EV tech,” explained Derek Dorresteyn, CTO, Damon Motorcycles. “Additionally, Molicel’s recently announced British Columbia manufacturing plant will shorten supply chains for battery cells and improve the responsiveness of our North American motorcycle manufacturing activities.”
To show off the new batteries, Damon pointed to a recent demonstration of its Molicel-equipped HyperSport motorcycle stacked up against a “state-of-the-art 2023 model 1000cc superbike” held on a private, closed-course track at Thunderhill Raceway in California.
The electric sportbike’s 150 kW (201 hp) liquid-cooled motor helped it achieve comparable acceleration compared to its 1000cc riding partner, though speed and acceleration graphs provided by Damon show smoother curves.
Damon reports 40 patents to its name covering a wide range of technologies included advanced rider aids and a system that it calls embedded Shift™ active ergonomics.
The bikes will also include 4G connectivity as well as “proprietary AI-enable cloud” that should help the bikes “continually adapt to a rapidly changing world, setting a new standard in performance, safety, and rider experience.”
The company isn’t only sitting on a pile of patents, but also a stack of more than $70M in funding so far. Damon also touts over $85M in deposit-backed reservations, representing at least 3,400 pre-ordered motorcycles.
If things go according to plan, Damon hopes to complete soon a merger transaction that would see it listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol DMN.
That all sounds great, but production sounds even better. Here’s to hoping we’ll get some news on that front soon, too.
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Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
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Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.
Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”
This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”
Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.
Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.
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Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.
NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.
The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.
NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.
Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.
This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:
NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.
This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.
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