When investors like Bill Gates and venture capitalist Vinod Khosla put money in a small company in Troy, MI, it's worth taking note. Don Runkle's start-up is testing a design that could provide greatly improved power, cleanliness and efficiency in an internal-combustion engine.
Called the "opoc," an acronym for opposed pistons and opposed cylinders, the engine would be half the weight and size of conventional engines, as well as having 50% fewer parts. The new engine could power helicopters and generators, as well as cars and trucks.
EcoMotors is headed by a team of two auto-industry veterans: Runkle, a former GM executive behind the company's original electric car, the EV1, and Peter Hofbauer, a former VW engineer who conceived of the "opoc" design.
Says Runkle: "Detroit is one of the best places in the world to start an engine company due to its vast technical expertise, as well as the suppliers that already are here.''
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