PROJECT BETTER PLACE DEBUTS ELECTRIC CAR PROTOTYPE IN JERUSALEM

Shai Agassi is not shy and his ambitious goal for Project Better Place, a $200 million undertaking, speaks anything but shyness. Agassi intends to solve all the problems of electric personal transportation and thereby make the contemporary world a better place.

Project Better Place has contracted with Nissan-Renault to make a state-of-the-art all- electric vehicle (EV). The two primary obstacles to widespread adoption of the EV have been, for nearly 2 decades, (1) a limited range-per-battery charge and (2) a long battery-charging time.

Agassi’s solution: A nationwide system of stations where drivers whose batteries are low can pull in and swap for a fully charged battery in the time it takes to fill a regular car’s gas tank.

His standardized Renaults will use standardized Nissan-developed and manufactured lithium-ion batteries with a 125-mile range. For drivers doing the more normal 20 to 40 mile daily driving distances, conveniently installed electric outlets will make parking places into charging stations.

A proven entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, Agassi has now proven himself something of a super salesman by convincing the leaders of his native Israel to sponsor the first trial of his project with tax credits for early adopters. Israel is the ideal location to try the idea out because of its small size and dense population. Kickoff is expected in 2010.

If all goes well and Agassi indeed makes Israel a better place, he will try Denmark in 2011. The Danes like the idea because they have enormous amounts of wind blowing at night that Project Better Place can use to charge batteries for daytime use. (See WIND POWERED CARS FOR WIND POWERED DANES)

The ambition is absolutely breathtaking and Agassi showed he is no slouch at realizing his ambition by unveiling the first Renault EVs in Jerusalem May 11.

Think this guy is going to pull it off?

How it works.

Startup shows off electric car planned for Israel
Matti Friedman, May 11, 2008 (AP)

WHO
Project Better Place (PBP) (Shai Agassi, founder/CEO)

Shai Agassi and his dream car. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
PBP showed off the all-electric Renault vehicle it will use in its first 2 locations starting next year.

WHEN
- Recharging stations will be built across Israel beginning in 2009.
- Operations will begin in Israel in 2010.
- Operations will begin in Denmark in 2011.

For a plug, not a pump. (click to enlarge)

WHERE
- Agassi made his fortune and entrepreneurial reputation in California’s Silicon Valley.
- PBP will begin operations in Israel. It will next operate in Denmark.
- There are rumors PBP will, after 2011, open in San Francisco.

WHY
- Agassi raised $200 million in funding for PBP.
- The Renaults will use lithium-ion batteries developed by Nissan. The vehicles are fast, quiet and go from zero to 60 mph in 8 seconds.
- They will go on sale in Israel in 2010 at a competitive sedan price.
- Israel was chosen to initiate PBP because it is a small, densely populated country. PBP will build 150 quick battrery-swapping stations around the country.
- Denmark was chosen to take advantage of its abundant non-peak demand wind energy for nighttime charging.
- The 2 imposing limitations of the electric car are range and battery recharge time. PBP has solutions to keep either from defeating its plan. The batteries will have a 125-mile range and stations will swap them for fully recharged batteries in the time a gas tank refill takes. Cars used in smaller ranges can be recharged conveniently while parked.
- Drivers will pay a cell phone-like monthly, use-time fees that will come in below gas prices for the charging and battery-swapping services.

State of the art. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Project Better Place: “How can we make the world a better place? One electric car at a time.”
- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome, discussing Project Better Place: “[San Francisco wants] to be the first city [in the U.S.] to adopt that strategy.”