Accelerating the transition to sustainable transportation through power-generating suspension systems.
About us
Jon Hurry, one of our founders, was first captivated by the potential of harnessing naturally occurring energy from vehicles traveling over road displacements during his participation in his university's solar electric race competition in the early 90s. Unlike typical shocks that dissipate energy, there was a tremendous opportunity to capture usable energy by leveraging a power-generating suspension system. However, at the time, the technology was too expensive and inefficient to be commercially viable.
Since then, the market has evolved, with an increasing demand for electric vehicle range and emissions reduction. Furthermore, Jon discovered new advances in linear generator technology that made the idea more appealing and feasible.
Propitious Technologies was established in 2019 by Jon and Elsbeth Hurry, who shared a passion for developing green technology solutions to meet the world's energy needs. The company assembled a world-class team that worked in collaboration with Tufts University, Dr. John Miller, Dr. James Kirtley, Abtery AB, and others. The team experimented with different designs and materials to refine their technology, ultimately leading to a differentiated (patents pending) value proposition for refrigerated trailers, electric semis, and containers. Their testing of the prototype designs yielded remarkable results, revealing a breakthrough in linear generator design that allowed them to create a highly efficient linear generator capable of capturing a significant amount of energy based on variable road inputs experienced when driving on rough roads. As such, Propitious' technology has the potential to revolutionize the market and accelerate the transition to more sustainable transportation.
In early 2023, Johan de Nysschen, a world-class CEO with extensive experience and leadership in the automotive segment, was added to the team to lead commercialization efforts. With enormous potential, the company is finalizing the funding needed to prove the technology in the real world.
Propitious Technologies is emerging as a leading player in the clean-tech industry, recognized for its innovative solutions that address the world's energy needs. The company's commitment to sustainability and passion for innovation make it a driving force in the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Increasing range. Reducing costs.
Championing the shift to sustainable transportation.
Utilizing exclusive intellectual property and innovative new motor technology, we develop power generating suspensions that increase the range or efficiency of your vehicle.
Our technology will drive down your costs while improving your vehicle’s efficiency.
Our Team
Johan de Nysschen
CEO
Johan is our CEO and leader. With a 30-year track record of success as a veteran C-suite executive, Johan is recognized as a visionary leader, disruptive thinker, and turn-around specialist within the automotive industry. Johan's ability to balance long-term profit optimization with near-term cost containment is a testament to his exceptional leadership skills. He has consistently motivated individuals and organizations to deliver exceptional performance, inspiring them to reach new heights.
Johan has gained global experience in the USA, Europe, China, Japan, and South Africa, across a full spectrum of functions in the automotive industry. Johan’s career highlights include most recently serving as COO for the North American region and Chairman of the Supervisory Board for Mexico at Volkswagen Group, as well as being a Board Member for VW Group of America from 2019-2022. Prior to that, Johan was the Executive VP and President of the Cadillac Division at General Motors from 2014-2018, and President of Infiniti Motors Company from 2012-2014.
Before joining Infiniti, Johan was the President of Audi of America from 2004-2012, and President of Audi Japan from 1999-2004. Johan began his career in the automotive industry as the General Manager of Audi South Africa from 1993-1999.
Johan was named an Automotive News All-Star in 2020. Throughout his career, Johan has demonstrated the ability to drive success by leading teams to exceed expectations, even in challenging circumstances. His unique blend of experience, leadership skills, and global perspective make him an exceptional leader for Propitious as we work to bring our technology to the market.
Elsbeth C Hurry
Co-Founder and COO
Elsbeth is the current COO and one of the original founders of Propitious. With more than 25 years of experience in technology company management, Elsbeth has held senior leadership positions at some of the world's leading companies, including Stryker, Boston Scientific, and Guidant.
Elsbeth's expertise spans a wide range of disciplines, including global M&A, emerging company development, marketing, finance, and engineering. Elsbeth holds an MBA in Finance from Indiana University-Purdue University, and a BS in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Illinois. This unique breadth of education and experience allows Elsbeth to bring a diverse set of skills to the table.
Elsbeth's ability to see the big picture, think creatively, and execute complex projects has been invaluable in guiding Propitious' growth and success. Elsbeth is passionate about helping inspired ideas succeed and is committed to bringing Propitious' innovative solutions to market, with the ultimate goal of transitioning the heavy-vehicle space to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
John P Hurry
Co-Founder and CTO
Jon is a co-founder, inventor, and CTO of our company, bringing more than 25 years of experience in automotive technology expertise and management. He has been a lifelong innovator and ideator throughout his career, with a passion for pushing boundaries and creating breakthrough technologies.
Jon is an expert in light-weight vehicle structure and aluminum alloys, with a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the design and materials that go into building high-performance vehicles. He has extensive experience working with electric cars and motors, having worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Tesla, Faraday Future, Lucid and most recently Linear Labs.
Jon earned his BS in Manufacturing Engineering from Western Michigan University, where he also served as an adjunct professor, a member of the manufacturing overview board, and a dean interviewing team member for the Engineering College.
Jon’s extensive expertise in the field of manufacturing and engineering has been instrumental in driving our company's success, and we are proud to have him leading our innovative technology solutions.
Dr. John M Miller
Inventor and primary technical advisor
Dr. John M. Miller is our primary technical advisor and valued collaborator on our patent inventions. With a remarkable career spanning more than 43 years in electrical engineering, John brings an unparalleled level of knowledge and expertise to our team at Propitious. As a holder of 63 patents, John has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to innovation and expanding the horizons of what is possible in the field of e-machine design.
Beyond his impressive engineering achievements, John is also a highly respected member of the academic community. In his role as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas in Dallas, John is committed to sharing his knowledge and inspiring the next generation of engineers.
Dr. Miller’s vast experience in the automotive industry is particularly valuable to our team. He has worked on a wide range of projects that encompass electric traction drive, wireless power transfer, energy storage systems, power electronics, ultracapacitor applications, vehicle propulsion, and electric power systems. This extensive background means that John is uniquely equipped to offer advice on all aspects of e-machine design and associated applications.
John's exceptional contributions to the field of electrical engineering have earned him the distinction of being named a Life Fellow of IEEE and a Fellow of the SAE. We are humbled and honored to have John as a key member of our team.
Dr. James L Kirtley Jr.
technical advisor
James L. Kirtley Jr. is a distinguished post-tenure Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he also completed his undergraduate studies and earned his Ph.D. in 1971. Over his career, he has also worked for General Electric, Satcon Technology Corporation and provided advisory and consulting services for a large number of companies.
Dr. Kirtley has an impressive array of industry and academic achievements. He served as a Gastdozent at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and as a visiting scholar for Chongqing University in China, the University of Newcastle, and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.
Globally renowned for his expertise in electric machinery and electric power systems, Dr. Kirtley has held many editorial roles, including serving as Editor in Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion from 1998 to 2006, currently an Editor for that journal, and as a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Electric Power Components and Systems. Dr. Kirtley was honored with the title of Fellow of IEEE in 1990, received the IEEE Third Millennium Medal in 2000, and was awarded the Nikola Tesla prize in 2002. He was also elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering in 2007.
We are incredibly fortunate to have Jim as a technical advisor to Propitious, benefiting from his wealth of experience and invaluable review and feedback on our patents, testing, and refinements.
Overview
The Issue
More than 90 percent of food consumed in America is transported in refrigerated shipping trailers. These “reefers” are one of the largest vehicle polluters in America. They often require a secondary diesel generator, which are lightly regulated and produce tons of particulate emissions – spewing forth 22.5 pounds of CO2 per gallon of diesel fuel burned. Could this refrigeration be managed using a cleaner approach?
every year
tons of greenhouse gases (CO2) are added globally
every year vehicles alone release over
tons of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere 16% WW, 29% US
by 2040
growth in transportation emissions is expected
are needed to absorb CO2 produced by 1 semi-truck in a year
The Technology
Propitious has developed an innovative, patent-pending power generating suspension system (“PGSS”) mated to an electric generator to cool the refrigeration unit. This technology is designed to be retrofitted into existing fleets which means it can replace the diesel-fueled refrigeration units in the hundreds of thousands of "reefer" trailers currently on the road in the United States and Europe. Alternatively, it can greatly reduce the battery backup required for a fully electric reefer cooling system as a battery would only be needed while the vehicle is at rest.
Our technology harvests the power produced when the suspension reacts to road anomalies generating compression and rebound strokes. Our system is specifically designed to work with variable inputs created from the first inch of suspension travel on the trailer.
The system physically links to the suspension and translates its vertical travel into a horizontally mounted linear generator. A power electronics box then collects and boosts that output to the battery pack, while burning off residual energy. In heavy-truck application, the Propitious system is about six feet long and six inches in diameter. The system in total weighs about 1,800 pounds – a more compact and lightweight alternative to massive battery packs.
For more information on our general approach, please reference our paper, “Design, Development And Performance Of A Power Generating Suspension System For Energy Harvesting In Commercial Vehicles” available from how2power.com.
The Benefits
refrigerated truck trailer
- in fuel savings per year and/or
- 75% decrease in battery size needed for electric-only trailer refrigeration
electric semi-truck
in range increase
hybridized semi-truck & trailer
fuel efficiency increase