Electric Cars in Israel and Denmark

[Psychicwolf]

Israel, Denmark hooking cars to electric grid

Posted Sep 02 2008, 07:19 PM by Jon Markman

The number of practical new plans to dump crude oil from the modern transportation system is advancing at breathtaking speed. Last week, I wrote about the new Fisker Karma electric car, and now I’ve been reading about a new electric-car system lifting off drawing boards to completely replace gasoline-powered cars in Israel and Denmark.

According to the cover story of the the latest Wired, a former SAP software exec named Shai Agassi has developed an end-to-end system, called Better Place, aimed at helping smaller countries eliminate their dependence on imported crude oil. Israel was a natural first choice for the idea, since it has no oil of its own and all purchases fund its Arab enemies. Denmark has a glut of wind energy, and wants to use it to power cars.

The story of how Agassi -- whose dad is Iraqi and mom is Moroccan -- came up with the business plan and executed it by firing up the imaginations of top government leaders will likely end up as a Harvard MBA case study if it works out, as it is ingenious and audacious.

A big part of Agassi's idea is that business model for personal transportation should mimic the wireless phone carriers: Just like the carriers subsidize cell phone costs and make their money on selling two years of service, he proposes that the future electric car companies would subsidize the vehicles and make money providing electricity services.

According to Wired, the cars, initially made by Renault, would run on a new AutoOS that connects the vehicle to the national electricity supply grid. A special key fob would indicate if the car is fully charged. The AutoOS would know where you normally travel, and show you a map of specially enabled plug-in parking spaces along the route. When you arrive at one, an automatic arm folds out and plugs in to charge the battery. If you have to travel too far for the charge left in the battery, you can pull into a carwash-like site and have it swapped out automatically for a fully charged battery in 5 minutes.

The concept is interesting but probably only will work in countries where driving distances are short and the decision to replace crude oil is strategic, as in Israel. That’s a country where no one can drive more than 250 miles in any direction, so it’s perfect. But to do that in the United States would be nearly impossible. Plus, the whole idea of swapping out batteries on the fly is a dream at this point. Despite what the article says, my sources say that all current lithium ion batteries are integrated into cars and replacing them would take hours, not minutes.

Ultimately replacements for the luxury of cheap crude oil for transportation will result in local solutions. Brazil will run on sugar ethanol; Israel on nuclear-powered electric; Iceland on geothermal; and big countries like the United States on a combination of natural gas, geothermal, wind, solar, nuclear and coal.

The main thing to note for now is that the spike in crude oil prices above $100 per barrel has acted like a slap in the face to get governments and entrpreneurs energized about the need to find new alternatives -- and start developing economically viable business plans and tax policy to make them happen.
http://blogs.moneycentral.msn.com/topst ... -grid.aspx

[OMG]

The electric car really should be a common thing in cities these days. It probably can't be as effective if you are driving a long distance at a time. But within a city I don't see why it wouldn't work.