A Canadian Clean Technology company; the first in the world to employ waste heat recovery in the transportation sector
EnerMotion has successfully designed a fully functional auxiliary power unit (APU) called the HYPER (hybrid power and energy recovery) for heavy trucks powered by waste exhaust heat from a vehicle’s engine. The HYPER is capable of providing heating, cooling and hotel load power for up to 10 hours without consuming any fuel. This HYPER technology eliminates unnecessary idling and the use of diesel powered APU’s. It is also able to provide heating and cooling while the truck is in motion, allowing additional fuel savings while eliminating the need for an Air Conditioning compressor.

For a company that was launched not too long ago (2008), EnerMotion has made incredible accomplishments that have helped to distinguish it from competitors. EnerMotion recently received a $1 million grant from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and the Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) has since come to the table with some additional financing.

The premise behind the HYPER system is simple, even if the technology itself is not. Jack MacDonnell, EnerMotion Founder and CEO, describes it this way: “If you think of a bar fridge at a cottage; you plug it in and it runs a refrigeration cycle using electrical energy or it may use propane. That’s what we’re doing; we’re driving a refrigeration cycle without plugging into the wall or using fuel of any type – we’re using the wasted energy going out the exhaust pipe. Importantly, he added, we’re eliminating Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG’s) caused by drivers idling their big rigs at overnight rest stops or waiting to unload their goods.”

Jack MacDonnell recognizes how RIC played an important role in launching his business, considering the investment challenges faced by Canadian start-ups. “The Altitude Accelerator set us up with an experienced Entrepreneur in Residence during our early stages and provided an incredibly valuable marketing research package from their support network. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have this type of professional support available.”