February 9, 2009
Israeli company builds infrastructure for world’s electric cars

Israel launched an electric car program as part of a plan to end the country’s dependence on foreign oil. Of course by now, the idea of an electric car is not new. But it is still a challenge to produce enough of the vehicles and get them to travel far enough. Shai Agassi‘s company, Better Place, is not just promoting electric cars but designing an entire system to service them, with battery charging stations. Many countries are expressing great interest.

Worldfocus special correspondent Michael Greenspan and producers Yuval Lion and Ara Ayer report from Israel.

Could Agassi’s plan work in larger countries like the U.S.? Watch an extended interview: Debate on the electric revolution of the auto industry.

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Comments

16 comments

#16

04/06/2010 :: 02:38:28 PM
Student Says:

I want to follow the movement, many should begin talking to congress and sending letters. Instead of using coal as the only souce of energy, solar panals and wind turbines would be ideal. Especially due to the fact that deserts on the earth cover 500,000 sq miles!!!!
–Lets back this idea and make the US a part of a big change.

#15

04/02/2010 :: 07:12:06 PM
Renman Says:

The key to all-electric success is mileage on a single charge and rechargeability access.One thought is to build into the roof solar panels to charge while driving(way some houses have)and leave it parked outdoors when necessary.There should be a low level warning indicating number of miles left in storage and if possible,an emergency small gas operated generater for emergencies to get home/or a power source.

#14

04/01/2010 :: 02:59:02 PM
Secretary Says:

Golf carts have been around for a long time. In some senior places golf carts out number real gasoline cars. Can not beat a nuclear power plant. Maybe the car maker should have the owner also buy a solar panel, ever little bit helps.

#13

02/11/2010 :: 12:59:57 PM
Michael McKee Says:

Sounds promising but, will the business giants turn it into a parasitic institution, finding ways to charge more and more like the oil kings? Will they manage it properly so everyone benefits or will they make it a hardship on the majority of people? If it’s transparent and absent of weasel speak, I think it would be good for all but, I have my doubts whether that will be the case.

#12

02/10/2010 :: 03:52:43 PM
TomVA Says:

What is the USA waiting for????

#11

02/10/2010 :: 12:10:45 AM
jim stACk Says:

Better Place has it right. We have to charge off peak so we use the excess electric and have renewables running to cover the few who do charge during the day.
Like anything even a clean efficient safe electric vehicle can be mis-used. We want to make everyone aware of the best way to use them.

#10

07/10/2009 :: 08:17:49 AM
Finally I can reveal stuff I working for last half year! | Tamir Khason - Just code Says:

[…] couple of days ago WordFocus exposed one of our (frankly old ) WPF prototypes for in-car energy assistant system, so today I can […]

#9

05/19/2009 :: 07:48:00 AM
Better Place experiments with WPF & Windows XP for in-car electronic console | Window7s Says:

[…] just some pretty mockup on screen either. There is a short snippet of the software in action in a video by WorldFocus, screencapped for your convenience here. If the consideration to use WPF in a car wasn’t […]

#8

04/17/2009 :: 03:28:49 AM
Auto elettriche le vendite sono ferme - EnergeticAmbiente.it Says:

[…] Ricarica in apposite stazioni munite di colonnina. 2. Sostituzione integrale del pacco batterie. Israeli company builds infrastructure for world’s electric cars | Worldfocus Più in generale, il problema è legato alla realizzazione di batterie con maggior capacità […]

#7

02/24/2009 :: 10:23:38 AM
komik ak sanek Says:

Dear Sir, coment on the electric car. Yes it’s more to the environment friend and reduce the climate heat,well i willing to give some of my idea on how to improve it go without stop for recharge but the speed i never make sure of as i didn;t have try yet. well i’m looking for those who can helped me in the drawing and make deep study on this as i’ve dream of for 8 years. yes i have a friend he’s a danish man that he willing to help me but till now no news yet. Thank’s againt for the science and energy. that God have provided us. hope read from you soon.

#6

02/14/2009 :: 08:36:27 PM
Nathaniel Says:

In school my civcs and econmics class we watch this program and this particuler show was very intersting. But by having elctric cars you still have to focus on the energy that we will be using. Why not use solar power cars and use the sun? Or maybe we can just walk or take a bike. In my opinion I thimk that by 2020 we should not be using gas products any more but instead we should walk, take a bike or evn instead of gas solar power.

#5

02/10/2009 :: 12:41:50 PM
Rand Moorhead Says:

Regarding Peter Hubbard’s comment; coal-fired plants producing electricity may be efficient, yet there is too much lost in transmission of this power through lines. How about a report, World Focus, on the progress of the Swiss and their geothermal mega stations that they claim is the next global energy source. What happened to the drive to harnass solar energy in space and beam it to earth in a concentrated ray?

#4

02/09/2009 :: 08:14:36 PM
David Stern Says:

Re: CO2 emissions… the efficiencies of scale lead me to believe even Coal-fired plants supplying electric vehicles is the greener alternative to the conventional (gasoline) combustion engines, but anyone have a scientific source to support this view? BTW the contrary contention in the news video was NOT supported by an authoritative source.

#3

02/09/2009 :: 08:14:06 PM
Donna Jones Says:

This seems to be perfect for everyone, especially if it can go world wide. I live in Newfoundland, Canada where it is very cold. It would be nice to have a trial test in our cold winter months. I am sure our Newfoundland Hydro would surely welcome such a beast. If its more enviroment friendly, why not try something new!!Then again, we are just starting to explore and develope our oil, maybe not such a good idea! There’s no way of winning. The future is in our children’s hands, they have to live in a clean and healthy place, we have to point them in the right direction, why not start now?
Thanks

#2

02/09/2009 :: 07:15:31 PM
Leslie Gabor Says:

This is just one more example of excellence of Israeli technology. It should be important for everyone to note, as it was mentioned in the report, that Israel will form partnership with any foreign country that is willing to be at peace with her. Such partnerships will greatly benefit both parties. It should be a lesson to all countries in the Middle East, the ones that are bent on Israel’s destruction, that they have a lot to gain by making peace with Israel and thus being able to forge such wonderful partnerships. Even those countries, like Saudi Arabia and Iran that today have huge reserves of oil, will one day run out of it and will need this kind of alternative energy, so why not make nice now to the Israelis?

#1

02/09/2009 :: 05:32:32 PM
Peter Hubbard Says:

Bruce Upbin’s refutation of Better Place’s charging structure is completely off the mark regarding the carbon impact of electric vehicles in a coal-fired infrastructure. Because the energy efficiency of combustion engines in vehicles is so low and that of coal-fired power plants is so high, even coal-fired plants produce a huge reduction in CO2 emissions when replacing combustion engines as the source of vehicle power.

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