Better Place, the startup company dedicated to building charging networks for electric vehicles, yesterday announced that it is heading north to Ontario, Canada.
A partnership with Ontario’s government seeks to create a charging network that could lead to an increase in the production of electric vehicles in the province, which is one of North America’s largest car producing regions.
Better Place will establish its Canadian head office in Ontario, and build an electric vehicle demonstration and education centre in Toronto to lay the groundwork to help get electric vehicles running on Ontario roads.
The province has committed to conducting a comprehensive study, which will look at ways to speed up the introduction and adoption of electric vehicles. The study is scheduled for release in May 2009. At the same time, Better Place will be developing an electric car charging network plan and timeline.
Better Place recently announced similar initiatives in San Francisco and Hawaii.
Under the Better Place model, the company plans and installs a network of charge spots and battery exchange stations, giving drivers the same convenience to “top off” as they enjoy today with gasoline stations. Much like the mobile phone model, Better Place installs and operates the network of charging infrastructure, while leading auto manufacturers produce electric cars for the Better Place network. Better Place sources renewable energy to power the network, creating a zero emission solution from generation to grid to transportation.
For consumers, it means they will be able to subscribe to a sustainable transportation service. Better Place provides the batteries to make owning an electric car affordable and convenient. Better Place will install charge spots in parking spaces at home, at work, and at retail locations, which enable the network to automatically top off the electric car.
For distances longer than what most people drive in a given day, drivers will pull into battery exchange stations to swap a depleted battery for a fresh one in less time than it takes to fill a car with gasoline.
Better Place is partnering with Bullfrog Power, Canada’s only retailer of 100% green electricity, and Macquarie Group, a global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services.
The Better Place network of electric car charging infrastructure is built on open standards. One goal of the growing Better Place ecosystem, which includes The Renault-Nissan Alliance, is giving consumers a wide range of choices when it comes to vehicle make and model.
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Better Place is an interesting program. Better Place participants don’t actually own a car, they pay for the right to access green transportation. This will certainly be a niche business.
Americans by and large want to own their own car. I believe Americans will like the idea of plugging their car in at home. They’ll save a trip to the gas station by plugging in at home. By plugging in, electric plug-in owners will “fill up” for a fraction of the cost of tanking up an SUV. Electric cars require far less maintenance than their gas brethren. The downside initially will be smaller vehicles with less range than gas. However we’ll likely see these vehicles adopted as second cars – so that the gas guzzler can sleep in the driveway when the extra size, power and range isn’t needed.
Low gas prices are likely going to stall growth of electric and hybrid sales. However low gas prices are only temporary. Within the next five years there will be a gigantic “oh oh” moment for people who are currently buying SUV’s and cross-over vehicles. Then the scurry to hybrid, hybrid plug-in and electric will be on!