Oil: To use or Not to use? This is a question on everyone's minds. And from this question come dozens more. Are we really depleting the ozone? Why does fuel cost so much? Should we drill here in America? How do we influence our lawmakers to make the changes that need to be made? ...The list goes on and on.
So what's the solution, then? A company called better place might just have one! Operational first in Israel with more to come in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and China, Better Place is a forward thinking organization which is "...making electric cars make sense." They have envisioned and implemented an infrastructure that supports fully electric vehicles across the country of Israel.
How, you ask? The key is the infrastructure. Rather than creating a car with an internal battery, they've created a car which has a battery attached to the bottom. The depleted battery is easily removed and replaced in an automated, 24-hour "switch station" (pictured below), thus making long car trips feasible. One simply plans a trip and includes plans to stop at X or Y switch station to get a new, fully charged battery in just a few minutes. Think of it as a "fuel stop," without the fuel!
We had the opportunity to test drive one of the prototypes, a Renault Fluence Z.E. in Tel Aviv, Israel a few years ago. The station that we visited was meant to draw attention and explain the concept in a physical capacity to the residents of the country. The cars are large and roomy, the size of your average American sedan, I'd say. In fact, they are modern, former fuel driven sedans converted to run on batteries. They are attractive, nearly silent, and quick.
Being among the first visitors to arrive at the Visitor Center, we were proud to come home and share all of the amazing things we'd learned. Now, though, looking back, it seems that not many of our family and friends "got it." Here's your chance! Check out better place now, and see what it's all about. Maybe one day, we'll see a widespread presence in America!
