5-Nation survey by Electric Vehicle backer shows strong consumer interest in EVs

"The problem with surveys, as countless political polls have shown, is that people often tell the survey takers what they think they want to hear - or give an answer they think makes them look best - then go out and do whatever it is they want to do, even if it is diametrically opposed to what they said for the survey.

But that's why there are margins of error and why, even when the polls are off by a big margin, they can still serve as signposts, showing the direction in which the public is traveling even if unable to pick out the exact road.

That's why people with products or candidates to push and ideas or ideals to sell keep commissioning polls and surveys.

The green crowd is no different and the latest, being released right now, is from Better Place, the California-based firm promoting a global EV charging and battery exchange system.

Understanding - no dummies they - that chargers and battery swap systems aren't worth much without electric vehicles that use batteries that need to be charged or swapped, Better Place commissioned Paris-based global market research firm Ipsos to find out if there is much market potential for electric vehicles.

The poll was taken in five countries during March and April, when gasoline prices were relatively low all over the world - not the best of conditions for EVS, which tend to be more costly that gasoline vehicles and can't be justified on a purely economic basis unless gas prices are very high.

Survey takers in the U.S, Israel and Denmark, the greater Toronto area of Canada, and the Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney areas of Australia, asked more than 8,000 people whether they would consider cars and trucks that ran on something other than gasoline for their next purchase and how interested they were in electric cars for their next vehicle.

The U.S. came in dead last, with 30 percent of respondents expressing interest in an electric car for their next vehicle purchase. (Last, but that's still almost one in three while many analysts don't see EVs taking more than 15 per cent of the U.S. market in the next decade or so.)

In Israel, where oil independence is a critical and immediate concern and Better Place has a well-publicized contract with the national government to install a network of chargers and battery swap stations to serve a car being built by the Renault-Nissan Alliance, 57 percent of respondents said they would consider an EV for their next car and almost half of them (28 percent of all respondents) percent said they would consider nothing but an EV.

In the other countries, 40 percent of respondents in Denmark, 39 percent in Australia, and 35 percent in Canada's greater Toronto area said "yes" when asked if they would consider other than a gasoline vehicle for their next purchase.

The information provided late Sunday by Better Place didn't include and data on whether the respondents were given a price or price range to consider - something that likely would have a big impact of willingness to buy an EV, as it would in any auto purchase consideration.

And its only fair to point out that in addition to Israel, Better Place has a national contract in Denmark, and regional agreements in Australia and Canada, so the idea of EVs has been highly promoted in those countries over the past year

Better Place also is working with several state and cities in the U.S. to foster interest in its idea that swapping batteries would make driving an EV as easy as driving a gasoline car: There would no longer be any range anxiety if consumers knew they could have the nearly depleted battery pack in their EVs replaced with a full charged pack in a matter of a few minutes.

That's not a flaw in the survey, but it does suggest that lots of media and political talk about the vehicles and incentives to get them on the road isn't going to hurt people's perceptions.

Better Place, says the survey shows that there's strong consumer interest in EVs in many countries now and that even in the gasoline-addicted U.S., "nearly one in three ... car buyers are interested in purchasing an electric vehicle for their next car."

We'd go a little easy on the hard numbers - we're not confident that even 1 in 10 new vehicle buyers would grab an EV when finally there are some available (although we think the number will grow, considerably, as more models and more charging facilities are introduced, increasing usability and decreasing cost).

Vehicle price, the cost and availability of other fuels and the availability of public chargers and some sort of fast-charging or battery exchange system(s) all will have an impact on the market and on people's willingness to put their money where their mounts were now.

But we're also comfortable that the Better Place-Ipsos EV study does show that people increasingly are aware of the national energy security and environmental benefits of electric vehicles and that is something worth shouting from the parapets.

If the study's numbers are proven to be right, then great. Kudos. We'll be the first to stand up and cheer.

If a little optimistic - as people are wont to be when being asked about their beliefs - then, well, whatever else it does, or doesn't, do, the Better Place-Ipsos study shows that that as awareness of EVs grows, so does acceptance.

It shows that that there's enough interest in electric vehicles to encourage auto companies old and new to get some into the market, and soon.

And that's great, too."

Source: Green Car Advisor

Japan Better Place unveils first automated battery switch technology for electric vehicles, enabling convenient long-distance driving

Better Place achieved a milestone in accelerating the mass-market adoption of electric vehicles by demonstrating the world’s first battery switch technology along with electric car charging spots. This simple range extension technology delivers a cleaner, more convenient experience for drivers. Better Place was the only foreign company invited by the Japanese Ministry of Environment to demonstrate its switch technology, which provides a viable solution to make electric vehicles a reality by offering drivers virtually unlimited range.

Better Place showcased its battery switch platform today using a modified NISSAN electric crossover SUV to demonstrate how to switch a depleted battery for a fully charged one. The company also demonstrated its commitment to open network standards by charging a fixed battery, electric car, via one of four Better Place charge spots installed at the demonstration site. Recharging of the vehicle batteries is made possible by Sharp Corp. photovoltaic solar panels, creating a truly zero emission solution.

“Today marks a major milestone for the automotive industry as well as for Better Place,” said Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO, Better Place. “For nearly a century, the automotive industry has been inextricably tied to oil. Today, we’re demonstrating a new path forward where the future of transportation and energy is driven by our desire for a clean planet and a robust economic recovery fueled by investments in clean technology, and one in which the well-being of the automotive industry is intrinsically coupled with the well-being of the environment.”

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is partnering with Better Place in Israel to enable zero-emissions mobility throughout the country by 2011. The realization of zero-emissions mobility in Israel will require the deployment of battery switch stations as well as a steady and reliable supply of vehicles adapted to accept the switchable-battery layout required by the Better Place business model. The project and the teams have been working closely together for the past two years and are excited about seeing the manifestation of their efforts in today's demonstration of the battery switch platform.

Better Place is committed to delivering a complete solution to drivers that includes in-car services, management systems and multiple ways for drivers to recharge their electric car including networks of charge spots and battery switch stations powered by renewable energy. The infrastructure offers drivers the same convenience to “top off” as they enjoy today with gasoline or petrol stations, with charge spots installed where you live, work, and shop, while battery switch stations are deployed for the exceptionally long drives.

“Japan has always been at the forefront of automotive engineering and design and maintains a strong sense of environmentalism,” said Kiyotaka Fujii, President of Better Place Japan and Head of Business Development for Asia Pacific. “The launch of Japan’s electric vehicle study is an important milestone in achieving a zero-emission transportation society, and our successful demonstration of charging vehicles with both fixed and switchable batteries is an important contribution towards moving the entire industry forward.”

The automated switch process, which takes about a minute, is faster than filling a tank with gasoline, providing a cleaner, more convenient experience for drivers. The technology safely and quickly removes a depleted battery and transfers a fully charged battery into the vehicle. The process is seamless and automated, and the driver remains in the vehicle the entire time.

The system works with two robotic battery shuttles on an automated track system. One battery shuttle holds the fully charged battery, which will be inserted into the vehicle, while the other shuttle simply removes the depleted battery from the vehicle. At the end of the process, the track system returns the removed battery to a storage bay for recharging and preparation for use in another electric vehicle. The battery shuttles are designed to work with a wide variety of battery enclosure sizes and shapes for universal application to a range of electric vehicles.

The switch technology featured in the Yokohama exhibit will be further developed into production for the commercial switch stations, which will be deployed in Better Place markets around the world.

Source: Better Place

Better Place joins Subaru and other Japanese carmakers in Ministry of Environment EV project

Better Place, the world’s leading mobility operator, today announced that it is joining Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., maker of Subaru automobiles, and other Japanese carmakers in the first Ministry of Environment, electric-vehicle (EV) project in Japan. Better Place, the only foreign company participating, was invited by the Japanese Ministry of Environment to build a battery exchange station for EVs and showcase the technology in the world’s biggest auto-manufacturing nation.

As carmakers here focus on the future and developing next-generation vehicles, the government’s project supports the move to sustainable transportation and includes various electric-car models and EV infrastructure in multiple cities to demonstrate feasibility. The EV project is scheduled to begin in January 2009 and last three to six months, encompassing municipalities in Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka, and Hyogo prefectures. Yokohama—a participating city in Kanagawa—will host the first location to demonstrate the ability to exchange a depleted EV battery for a fully charged one, a means of extending EV range under the Better Place model. Participation in the Japanese project is the latest example of the model’s growing acceptance around the world.

“Better Place is honored to participate in this ground-breaking program in a country with so much auto-manufacturing expertise and history,” said Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO of Better Place. “We look forward to joining Subaru and other auto manufacturers in the project and demonstrating the feasibility of electric cars with swappable batteries to the rest of the industry. Japan is moving one step closer to the next-generation Car 2.0 model of electric cars fueled by renewable energy.”

Better Place Japan will be led by Kiyotaka Fujii, the former president and CEO of retailer Louis Vuitton’s Japanese subsidiary and SAP Japan. Based in Tokyo, Fujii also will lead the company’s efforts in the Asia Pacific region.

“The Better Place model works across cultures and continents and no one is more qualified and better suited to ensure Japan moves forward in terms of sustainable transportation and energy than Fujii-san,” said Agassi. “When he led SAP Japan, business expanded threefold. He’s the type of leader we want spearheading our efforts in Asia Pacific.”

“While Japan has succeeded in building a robust economy, it should reduce its dependence on oil and lower its carbon footprint. Japan also should look to be a leader in support of electric vehicles by investing in electric charging infrastructure,” said Fujii. “I’m confident that the collaboration between the public and private sectors represented by the Ministry of Environment project will provide major impetus for the adoption of electric vehicles in Japan.”

Source: Better Place

Better Place to build Hawaiian electric car network

Silicon Valley startup Better Place on Tuesday announced a deal with Hawaii’s governor and the state’s biggest utility to build an electric car charging network throughout the islands.

The agreement comes less than two weeks after Better Place CEO Shai Agassi and the mayors of Northern California’s three largest cities unveiled a plan to build an electric car infrastructure for the San Francisco Bay Area. Better Place also has signed similar deals with governments in Australia, Denmark and Israel.

Agassi said the network of charging posts and battery swapping stations will be ready by 2012. That’s roughly the target date for Better Place’s other projects, which means the year-old startup will be simultaneously building electric car networks in four countries while raising billions of dollars in project finance.

Renault-Nissan will supply electric cars for the network. Better Place will own the car batteries and charge drivers for the miles (or kilometers) driven. By removing the battery from the purchase price of electric cars - the most expensive component - Better Place hopes to sell vehicles at prices competitive with their fossil-fueled counterparts.

Appearing with Agassi at a press conference at the capitol in Honolulu, Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle said the Better Place partnership offers the state the opportunity to slash the $7 billion it spends annually on imported oil and provide a market for renewable energy. Hawaiians pay some of the highest gasoline prices in the U.S. and the state has set a goal of obtaining 70% of its energy from solar, wind and other renewable sources by 2030.

“It’s not a simple goal - we’re looking to end our dependence on oil,” said Agassi, who shed his customary dark suit for a gray polo shirt and wore a lei. “Any form of renewable energy - wind, solar, geothermal - is here in Hawaii.”

“This will be the blueprint where six or seven million visitors will come and experience first-hand what it’s like to drive an electric car,” added Agassi, 40, a former top executive at business software giant SAP. “You couldn’t ask for a better advertisement.”

Utility Hawaiian Electric (HE), which supplies 95% of the state’s power, will generate renewable electricity equal to what the Better Place network consumes and work with the company on developing the charging infrastructure.

“The price of oil is irrelevant to us - we have to reach a clean and secure energy future,” Lingle said.

Better Place’s latest deal came on the same day that General Motors (GM) and Ford, which have asked for a multi billion-dollar bailout from Congress, (F) announced plans ramp up production of hybrid and electric cars.

“It’s a win-win-win - the only loser in the equation is oil and that’s ok,” said Hawaiian Electric executive vice president Robbie Alm. “Green cars will provide the market for renewable energy.”

Source: Green Wombat