This is a very big deal

Israel to build national electric car infrastructure

Posted by Adam Browning (Guest Contributor) at 9:27 PM on 22 Jan 2008

Read more about: Israel | energy | electric vehicles | cars

Photo: iStockphoto

Project Better Place, in partnership with Renault/Nissan and the Israeli government, will build a national electric car infrastructure.

A major manufacturer developing new electric vehicles with swappable batteries, and a plan to develop 500,000 battery recharging sites across the country? It's still January, and I'm ready to call this the most important environmental news story of 2008.

I'm going to write more about this later, but do yourself a favor and read all about it here.

This, friends, is the road to Middle-East peace. And it was announced on MLK day. How appropriate.

For story: This is a very big deal
14 Comments | Post a Comment

A great example of much needed infrastructure

For sure makes me proud to be French!

I agree this is a very big deal and a great example of the kind of infrastructure changes needed to help people become actors in the climate fight.

Mr. Bush, will you take note. Or have we all given up on you, and waiting for your replacement to take charge?

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marguerite manteau-rao http://lamarguerite.wordpress.com 'It's All About Green Psychology'

by lamarguerite at 10:05 PM on 22 Jan 2008

So...

...will they be powered by solar, wind, or nuclear?

Regarding Mr. Bush, he's behaving like a student who doesn't pay attention in class or study all year and suddenly realizes he has to really cram if he wants to pass the final exam. I'm deeply ashamed of our President -- hard to refer to him as such -- and apologize to the world for the poor decision a large number of my fellow Americans made... twice. I hope we can repair some of the damage we've done, though the lost lives are gone forever and there is no way to apologize for it. Unfortnately, I suspect Mr. Bush does not have a clue as to why people are upset about what he has done.

by wiscidea at 10:18 PM on 22 Jan 2008

production costs

Will the scale of this project lower production costs in the near future and make electric cars more affordable in other countries?

This is the sort of stuff our so-called brilliant experienced businss executives should be calling for in the United States. Oh, wait... we chose to elect for President a person who's business ventures repeatedly failed. Sort of explains our economic slump. Too bad the Saudis can't bail us out. And now we might get a President -- Romney -- who "saves" businesses not by creating innovative products but by laying off workers. I suppose we're getting what we deserve. I'm certainly not going to spend any more money than I have to this year.

by wiscidea at 10:30 PM on 22 Jan 2008

Woooh!

Go Israel!

by Quinn at 10:54 PM on 22 Jan 2008

Shalom, and lotsa luck.

Great initiative it is. Israel will be a great test-bed for this technology, for many reasons. But don't oversell it: "the road to peace in the Middle East" it almost certainly isn't.

There's so much more going on there than oil. Israelis tooling around in the latest hi-tech emissions-free vehicles is hardly going to make their much-poorer neighbors drop their resentment, and it could even make matters worse. I'm as fond of shiny consumer toys as the next person, but I don't expect 'em to Save The World.

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.

by spaceshaper at 5:40 AM on 23 Jan 2008

Now that's energy independence

I'd imagine Israel worries about getting cut off from oil someday against their will. If your cars are running on juice generated from solar, wind, and tidal farms, no more worries.

Join the discussion on global warming, recycling, and organic beer at The Green Miles!

by TheGreenMiles at 6:11 AM on 23 Jan 2008

Great project!

But Mr. Aggasi, with your internet technology background (software), why have you not considered metering the charging current with an internet device in the batteries or the car?

This puts the infrastructure into the product. Any electric plug will serve as a charging station, the correct party billed the correct amount for the kwhs used and the right company payed.

This technology would also apply to distributed renewable smart grids. That's your mass market product Mr. Aggasi. The auto company and battery company and power utility supply the rest. The key is metering and billing. Solar panels on your roof providing kwh, into the grid, to eventually recharge your batteries, anywhere you can plug in.

The battery swap idea is problematic, but just might work if mass production took hold. Supplement this part of the scheme with a backup generator module that plugs into the same space as the battery pack, with the same convenience. And it will work.

If a battery swap stop was needed once a week, when daily average driving level was exceeded, that would be acceptable to drivers. But for longer trips, vacations, or commercial driving the backup generator/battery module would be better.

This is a way to mass produce electric cars for short range driving with easy addon conversion to plugin hybrid. Excellent!

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by amazingdrx at 8:25 AM on 23 Jan 2008

Libs Cave!

So, you guys finally admit that the personal automobile, done right, is the best "transit system" going.

Thanks for coming around...

Possibly the best Alternative Energy blog I read: New Energy and Fuel

by jabailo at 8:55 AM on 23 Jan 2008

Worst Environmental News of 2008

This just perpetuates the myth of the green automobile generated by the auto industry which probably explains why Nissan is involved. Even worse, by decreasing the cost of driving, people will just drive further, increasing emissions.

It also sends a poor message to people in countries such as India and China.

In a world of 6 billion people, we do not have enough resources for personal automobiles. Too many more electric cars and we will be reaching "peak batteries".

The solution is public transit and cycling.
How about calling British Columbia's investment of $14 billion in transit as the biggest story of 2008.

by racc at 12:25 PM on 23 Jan 2008

Light rail too...

So, you guys finally admit that the personal automobile, done right, is the best "transit system" going.
Thanks for coming around...

Ya should also know that most of Israel's large cities are currently planning/constructing light rail systems for their urban centers.

by Tasermons Partner at 1:46 PM on 23 Jan 2008

may I'm to cynical

A point here is that it will free up alot of fossil fuel to be used in fighter aircraft and tanks. They use up a lot of fuel. It probably burned a lot of military people that they had to share that stuff with people to just drive around. Now they have it to themselves. They have to concern themselves with that sort of thing to survive.

by trock at 7:30 PM on 23 Jan 2008

If it works in Israel...

...no reason it might not then filter into Jordan, Egypt, or Lebanon (mideast countries with no oil and a bit of a middle class).

No, it's not going to bring peace, but Spaceshaper, I don't think it's going to hurt either.

by GreenMom at 8:01 PM on 23 Jan 2008

NJ

In a country the size of New Jersey, I don't think people driving further is as big of a problem as it would be in the US.

by Quinn at 9:49 PM on 23 Jan 2008
[ Parent ]

Driving More is a Problem

More people driving 20 miles a day instead of 10 miles a day is a problem. It doesn't have to be a large country for people to drive more.

As mentioned above, it is the light rail that is the real good news.

Automobiles require too much land for parking and roads. The cost for even maintaining current roads and bridges, much less the road space required if people drive more is getting prohibitively expense. The ghg emissions required to build road and parking infrastructure is significant as well. Do full life cycling accounting on the the whole transportation system including the infrastructure and the vehicles and I'm sure you will find that electrical vehicles make very little difference.

by racc at 10:18 PM on 23 Jan 2008

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