The question is: Are car drivers ready for a whole new way to own and power their personal transportation? Project Better Place believes they are. This start up company has raised $200 million towards their plan to put the horse before the cart towards the widespread use of electric cars.
The “horse” would be a network of electric refueling and battery exchange stations that users pay for on a subscription basis . The “carts” would be electric vehicles from different manufacturers offered at subsidised prices by Project Better Place. The idea is to jump start the use of electric cars by putting the charging network into place first, then make available compatible vehicles. A subscriber would be able to go to the stations and recharge or exchange batteries and have it all covered by a monthly subscription fee. This system is similar to how we currently get our cell phone service. The cellular company has transmission towers (cells), offers various phone models and has different payment plans based on usage. The goal is to have personal transportation costs less than current fuel based vehicles.
The plan is to start rolling out test locations in early 2008 with professional fleets such as taxis in congested metropolitan areas. From a few thousand cars in the system by 2009 they expect to be putting 10,000 vehicles a month into their networks by 2010.
I find an aggressive approach to completely change how personal transportation works very exciting. I think in many urban areas this type of subscription based, non-polluting transportation will work. If you can get people out of their fuel based vehicles in more open places like the western U.S. is more problematic. Let us see if this company can really make others make the paradigm shift in personal transportation. $200 million shows there is a serious chance this will work.
Photo: 98 year old electric car with Jay Leno
