EcoMotors
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive engineering |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Allen Park, Michigan , United States |
Key people | Peter Hofbauer (Chairman, CTO), Donald Runkle (CEO), Amit Soman (President, COO) |
| Products | Opposed-piston opposed-cylinder (OPOC) engine |
| Owner | Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates |
EcoMotors was a U.S.-based enterprise focused on the development and commercialization of an opposed-piston opposed-cylinder (OPOC) engine tailored for applications including automobiles, light trucks, commercial transport, aerospace, marine vessels, agricultural machinery, auxiliary power units, and generators. This engine was engineered to deliver substantial improvements in fuel efficiency while lowering manufacturing expenses compared to traditional internal combustion engines.
Established in 2008, EcoMotors operated out of Allen Park, Michigan. By 2013, its leadership team featured Prof. Peter Hofbauer—serving as chairman, chief technology officer, and the inventor of the OPOC engine—alongside Donald Runkle as CEO and Amit Soman as president and COO.
The company’s principal financiers included Khosla Ventures and Bill Gates. Vinod Khosla, the founder of Khosla Ventures and former CEO of Sun Microsystems, also played a role as a co-founder.
In April 2013, EcoMotors formed a strategic alliance with Chinese automotive parts manufacturer Zhongding Power to establish a $200 million production facility in Anhui Province. This plant aimed to manufacture 150,000 OPOC engines annually with potential scalability up to 400,000 units. Zhongding’s automated foundry was set to produce CGI (compacted graphite iron) engine blocks under a licensing agreement with Sweden’s Sintercast. Although initial production was planned for 2014, it was postponed until 2016.
By February 2017, EcoMotors’ online presence had ceased operations and its intellectual property was listed for sale with a deadline in September 2017.
OPOC engine
The OPOC engine is a two-stroke reciprocating internal combustion engine characterized by two pistons housed within each cylinder, thereby removing the requirement for a cylinder head or conventional mechanical valvetrain. Its design features opposed cylinders positioned on opposite sides of the crankshaft, each containing two pistons, which contributes to enhanced mechanical balance.
This design concept has origins dating back to the 1900 opposed piston engine developed by the French firm Gobron-Brillié, which utilized a single crankshaft but included a camshaft and valves—elements that differ from EcoMotors’ contemporary opposed-cylinder architecture.
Engineered for scalability, the OPOC system allows multiple engines to be linked via electric clutches. Additional units engage during periods of increased power demand and disengage to prevent frictional losses when power requirements are low. This modular configuration is particularly advantageous for urban vehicles by combining a compact, efficient primary engine with supplementary units activated for acceleration or heavy load conditions.