Ben Preiss
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Renault - Nissan will build the cars, Project Better Place of Palo Alto, Calif., will provide the lithium-ion batteries and will build the infrastructure, which may eventually consist of 500,000 charging points and up to 200 battery-exchange stations. The Israeli government has already drastically reduced taxes on electric cars, making them about half the price, to encourage citizens to make the jump. Since Israel has virtually no oil domestic resources and gas currently costs $6.28 a gallon government and citizen both should be motivated. In Israel, 90 percent of car owners drive less than 43.5 miles per day and all major urban centers are less than 150 kilometers (93 miles) apart, making the use of battery operated cars more feasible than in countries with longer average commutes. Another factor is Shai Agassi’s innovative business model for car/battery ownership.  The business model, Agassi says, is similar to how a mobile phone company sells airtime. Agassi figures that if he adds electrical outlets to at least 500,000 of Israel's three to four million parking spots, people will feel like they can charge their cars whenever they need to. Since most people seldom drive more than 100 miles at a time, wiring workplaces and public spaces like shopping malls should keep most cars juiced. For longer drives, customers will be able to pull into a battery-swap station and get a fresh battery. Better Place, and not individual drivers, owns the batteries, which should keep the price of the cars comparable to gas-powered vehicles.
(time)References: ynetnews, time Filed In: |
