Project Better Place is an initiative “to make scalable electric transportation a reality on a global scale and reduce the world’s dependency on oil.” That is a strategic concept that is truly meriting applause. Shai Agassi, former executive at SAP AG, is the sparking energy behind PBP, who “has an audacious idea—some may call it foolhardy—to change they way electric cars are sold and maintained.”
The basic concept: his company will own the batteries and rent them out to car owners. Driving on the road and need a recharge? Stop in at a charging center, take a few moments to exchange batteries (and take a pee), and get back on the road again.
Shai has some $200 million in investments that say that he can make this vision a reality.
The latest news: Project Better Place is targeting 100,000 electric vehicles in Israel, within the next two years. The likely builder: Renault. A key benefit in the marketplace: Israel to make electric car production tax fee. (As to that last, considering that Israel charges an 84 percent purchase tax on gas cars and 30 percent on hybrids, that no-tax situation provides a real advantage.)
Hat tip to AutoBlogGreen.
2 responses so far ↓
1 kent beuchert // Dec 18, 2007 at 12:31 am
Due to her small geographical size, Isreal is probably one of the few countries where an electric might be viable. But Agassi’s braindead idea of swappable batteries is no solution : it only increases the costs of battery packs, which
are already one of the main impediments to a practical EV. Israel
would be better off importing BYD’s 60 mile range plug-in hybrid or the Chevy VOLT. Both will be available to help kill crude oil use in Israel before Agassi’s cockamame scheme ever gets off the ground.
2 Israelis/Palestinians: There is a common enemy … // Dec 28, 2008 at 11:03 am
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