C-Motive Technologies | Grid Catalyst

C-Motive Technologies is a cleantech startup commercializing sustainable, highly efficient electrostatic motor technology.

Over 50% of the world’s electricity is consumed by electromagnetic motors. Most traditional motors are made from copper, and the highest-performance machines rely on rare-earth magnets that are almost entirely sourced from one country overseas. C-Motive’s electrostatic motor technology is +90% efficient, free of rare-earth magnets or electrical steel, and uses 90% less copper than traditional electric machines. By using different physics, C-Motive is able to change the expectations that people have for their motors and deliver an all-in-one system that is free from gearboxes and active cooling.

About The Technology

Our electric machine functions using static electricity, removing the need for rare earth materials and limiting copper use to a bare minimum. This unique electrostatic motor technology delivers the highest efficiency and torque density for stationary industrial and e-mobility applications, all while reducing carbon emissions.

C-Motive co-founders Justin Reed and Dan Ludois were pursuing their PhDs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when they decided to develop the technology for a modern electrostatic motor, taking inspiration from Benjamin Franklin’s early research on electrostatic machines.

In the past 8 years, the company has iterated on dozens of motor designs but have settled on prototypes which are roughly 10” in diameter, 10” in length and have a weight less than 30 lbs. These prototype motors have been tested extensively internally as well as at third party facilities.

C-Motive’s team is currently developing demonstration units for testing with early adopters. These machines (appropriate for material conveyance, industrial fans, compressors, pumps, and more) are capable of 20 Nm of torque from 0 speed and exceed 90% efficiency.

In addition, testing shows that these are extremely quiet motors, do not generate heat in operation, and can deliver full holding torque with virtually no power draw.