I saw this Digg post and had to respond, although quickly. Hang on another year or so because there will be cheap electric cars, in Israel.
Shia Agassi and Israel’s Better Place Project have a plan to take over the roads with electric cars within a couple years. They’re borrowing from mobile phone service’s business models.
The car you see below will be so ubiquitous that you will not only be able to charge it all over Israel, but you’ll even be able to quickly swap your drained battery with fully charged one to keep you on the go. How much will these cars cost? Nothing!
At least that’s the plan. According the Shai Agassi, the electric car service should be able to afford to give the cars away for free so long as customers agree to a service agreement for six years. In the same way that mobile phone services charge per minute, they’re going to charge for battery changes and electricity.
It’s going to be very exciting to watch and see if the electric car services proliferate as quickly as mobile phone services did. I’m betting they take off even faster.
4 Comments until now
This is an interesting concept and I like the way Shia Agassi is using the cell phone business model. I can see how this plan could both succeed and fail at the same time.
I have just set up Google alerts to follow Shia Agassi and Better Place Project in the endeavor.
It will be interesting to see how well the system works out. If it is successful in Israel, I think we’ll see larger more compact cities in the US (NYC for one) adopt the plan.
It is a great concept and about time! We recently wrote up a post on the same topic:
http://www.dumpitinthepump.com/index.php/environment/oil-to-green/
Please read-Americans need to know!!!!!!!!
NHTSA Hearings 8/4/08
I just returned from the NHTSA hearings held on August 4, 2008 in Washington D.C., regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for NEW Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards (CAFÉ) for years 2011-2015.
IMPORTANT FACTS: You will not believe what you are reading.
1) The 414 pages DEIS analysis was based on an average gasoline price of USD $2.16/gallon for 2011-2020. A calculation approved by the NHTSA administrators/managers. Would you believe it???????????
2) The new CAFÉ rules were also established, negotiated and pre-approved by the NHTSA’s management and clearly with the influence of domestic automotive companies and their lobbyists. We have now established fuel standards for 2011-2020 that are presently and already met throughout the rest of the Western world today (see below).
As one guest speaker said today “are they on another planet?”
NHTSA “NEW Fuel Standards” (2011-2015) decision:
Automobiles are to achieve 31.2 mpg by 2011 and 35.7 mpg by 2015. Light trucks are to achieve 25 mpg by 2011, and 28.6 mpg by 2015.
The NTHSA is also setting a goal of 35 mpg on average for 2020.
America needs to know:
The European Union is currently establishing standards, with a goal of reaching 48.9 miles per gallon for new passenger vehicles as early as 2012. The current EU standard already requires more than 40 miles per gallon about 15% higher than the U.S. goal set for 12 years from now.
Japan currently has a standard of about 40 miles per gallon. Japan aims to further improve fuel efficiency by 17% by 2015, reaching 46.9 miles per gallon.
China has a current average of slightly under 35 miles per gallon. Chinese fuel standards are on target to reach the government’s goal of 35.8 miles per gallon by 2009. China will not only meet, but exceed, the goal just established by the United States for 2020 — more than a full decade earlier.
Australia is targeting 34.4 miles per gallon by 2010.
Canada is targeting 34.1 miles per gallon by 2010.
Under the current administration, purchasing an electric vehicle is becoming more of a necessity rather than an alternative.
BG Automotive Group, Ltd.
http://www.bgelectriccars.com/
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