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Oct 23, 2008 04:01 PM | 11
The alternative-energy automobile company known as Better Place plans to bring the same electric car system already in the works for Israel and Denmark to Australia. After raising $1 billion in capital—a tall order in today’s cold economic climate—Better Place founder Shai Agassi, a former software executive, Australian bank Macquarie and partners plan to build by 2012 electric car charge garages and battery exchange stations throughout Australia—all powered by wind turbines and other renewable resources (when possible)—to service the vehicles.
Basically, Better Place is trying to make electric cars—specifically the Renault-Nissan eMegane under development that can drive around 100 miles on one charge with a top power of 91 horsepower—work like cellphones. Customers would pay by the minute, er, mile, to use cars (powered by batteries and electricity) that they owned or leased. Customers would purchase mileage plans in order to use Better Place’s recharging stations and battery swaps. A123 Systems, a battery company in Watertown, Mass., will be the most likely battery provider, according to Agassi.
Ubiquitous charge spots would ensure at least 100 miles of driving range at all times. Plans call for at least 2.5 such Better Place spots for every electric car. But for those longer trips—say across the outback—there will also be places to swap out depleted batteries for fresh ones. Of course, it remains unclear how much any of this would cost.
There are around 15 million cars in Australia, a number that is dwarfed by the at least 62 million cars in the U.S. and the 38 million or so—and growing—in China. Yet Australians emit the most greenhouse gases per person—beating out tough competitors like the Americans—due mainly to their reliance on dirty coal power (although the current Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has pledged to derive 20 percent of power needs from renewables by 2020). The Better Place effort will initially focus on bringing the electric cars to residents of the heavily populated east coast between Melbourne and Sydney.
Switching from oil to electricity for cars could bring down overall climate-change causing carbon dioxide emissions, even though Australia has experimented with carbon-light fuels. But to rein in global waming, the country would have to derive nearly all of its electricity from carbon-free sources, such as geothermal, nuclear, wind and sun. And the cars for this plan don’t exist yet: no one has built anything other prototypes. But Agassi is not worried.
“With our commitment to build infrastructure and the [Australian] federal government’s $500 million Green Car Innovation Fund," he said in announcing the Australian venture, "there is a compelling case for automobile manufacturers to jump in and build clean, safe, affordable electric cars for Australasia and Southeast Asia.” Who knows? Maybe some Australian city will become the Detroit of the 21st century?
Photo Credit: © Bjorn Kindler/istockphoto.com
Tags:
alternative fuels,
shai agassi,
alternative energy,
kevin rudd,
better place,
electric car,
australia
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11 Comments
Add CommentThe Australian Government should spend a little more time looking around as to what is available. There is so much and so many cars coming out that will prove to be a better choice. i.e., Phoenix Motorcars which has a ten minute charge time, battery operates in extreme temperature settings, never overheats, lasts past 20,000 charge/discharge cycles. Etc.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWE HAVE THE MOTOR _ Who is interested ? Now being put through final tests - the most energy efficient and powerful EV thus far.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMac 61 266804902
Fantastic news ! Just what we need, and what many people have been advocating for some time now. Shame that Perth is not included in the initial roll-out of Australian cities - we'll have to see how we can change that !
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn Victoria you can get your car converted to all electric at reasonable cost by at least once company near Castlemaine - they produce a steady stream of conversions on used or new small cars. I am sure ther must b e others who do this but they have not been in the news..he has even used a large korean manker'ss smallest car, gutted it and replaced engine with electric motor.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJr, The phoenix model only works because of credits provided by the government to make these vehicles affordable. The batteries are currently not mass produced and cost about 75k. The battery cost in the better place model is about 12k and is amortised over several years, allows for low up front entry. In Isreal and Denmark it is also assisted by a tax regime which supports the electric vehicle. A shame the Australian Government is not coming to the party on that front.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCumrew, Blade electric vehicles will provide and convert a Hyundai Getz which normally costs about 15k on the road for about 42k. Hardly a viable option for most people, although I do admire the spirit of the exercise. Most other conversions I have seen are in the order of 12 to 20k when Lithium ion batteries are used - most being for battery cost and the enthusiast normally does all the labour themselves (usually taking quite a lot of time in the process. See ZEVA website who knows what he is doing. Most of us wouldn't have a hope.
The article also incorrectly states that Australia would have to move to renewable energy for climate change mitigation to take place. This is not correct. The efficiencies of electric vehicles are such that even with coal fired power the well to wheel carbon dioxide reduction is significant. Of course renewables make it much better. The Better Place model of course does include renewable energy.
Way back during the second world war, Australia ran cars on gas generated from wood pyrolysis that produced carbon monoxide fuel. With better technology, pyrolysis now produces clean hydrogen, leaving only charcoal as a bi-product. Charcoal or 'agrichar' is valuable for reclaiming impoverished soils. Gas cars are not a joke, they would be very useful in the outback!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am interested..
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPower ? efficiency ? price? dimensions ?
Please write me at rgody @ yahoo . com
Regards
Rodrigo
Agassi's plan is a disaster. I feel sorry for all those investors who are going to loose everything. I am all in favor of electric cars, but this exchange idea is just not going to work. Battery and ev's are in a high state of evolution, new technology will make his system obsolete by the time it is implemented. Trading your depleted battery at a change station will be expensive, compared to recharging your car overnight in your garage, so the exchange process will only be used by the few that need to drive long distances. High mileage drivers will be the last to convert to electric. It will be next to impossible to get manufacturers to adopt this standard, they will be offering different sizes, ranges, and the latest technology.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMac Nicolson, please send info to innov8boy@yahoo.ca
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPhoenix has re-negotiated its deal with Altair Nano, for a significant drop in price and they are looking at other battery manufacturers.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAgassi's plan is not a disaster, it means his company controls the turnover of it's customers' batteries and can upgrade batteries to arbitrary new technologies at scale. With exchangeable batteries, not only can drivers strike out across much greater ranges than a single fixed battery allows, but their batteries can 'evolve' much faster than their vehicles need to.
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