Better Place Furthers Electric Transportation with China Deals
Thursday, April 28, 2011
HONOLULU – Just a week after launching Hawaii’s first electric car charging network, Better Place announced a strategic agreement with China Southern Power Grid Co. (CSG), the world’s eighth largest utility according to the Fortune Global 500. The agreement, which focuses on joint electric car and infrastructure projects in CSG’s service areas, will further advance electric cars with switchable batteries in China. The agreement calls for the companies to open a battery switch station and joint education center in Guangzhou before the end of the year, while working to formalize a joint-venture partnership.
The companies will develop in phases the joint education center to host government and industry delegations and educate Chinese consumers about the benefits of going electric. The center will include interactive exhibits, meeting facilities, electric cars that visitors can test drive, and an automated battery switch station. The facility is slated to open before the end of year in central Guangzhou. Better Place currently operates similar centers near Tel Aviv, Copenhagen, and Toronto, hosting nearly 100,000 visitors per year.
The Municipal Government of Guangzhou showed its support by signing an agreement with Better Place that states it will encourage local car manufacturers, such as Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group, to produce electric cars with switchable batteries. It also calls for the city to promote electric-car adoption in fleet segments including public-sector vehicles and private-sector fleets such as taxis.
“China Southern Grid is an important partner in a huge market that is moving quickly toward the mass-market development of electric cars and is embracing battery switch as the primary means of range extension,” said Better Place Founder and CEO Shai Agassi. “Our collaboration with China Southern and the support of the Guangzhou government open the door to new opportunities for switchable-battery electric cars made by Chinese manufacturers for the domestic and export markets.”
The Chinese government has declared the electric-car industry one of seven strategic emerging sectors, stated its intent for China to become the world’s largest developer and manufacturer of electric cars, and offered strong support in the form of investment and incentives as the country seeks to leapfrog combustion-engine technology and reduce a growing dependence on oil.
By the end of the year, Better Place will have battery switch stations under deployment in countries on four continents, including the U.S., Europe, Australia and now China. The deployments form the basis of a growing network for making electric cars more affordable, convenient and sustainable than today’s cars with internal combustion engines. The Better Place model also offers governments around the world a solution for reducing dependence on oil and its harmful contributions to global climate change and local pollution while growing domestic green jobs.
In Hawaii, with its partners, Better Place will deploy a network of 130 more charge spots on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii Island connected to a central operations center for smart charging electric cars. The charge spots will be available for public use next year. Better Place is also working on a public education campaign that will inform the public about electric cars and facilitate their mass adoption in Hawaii.
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About Better Place
Better Place, the world’s leading electric car services provider, is accelerating the global transition to sustainable transportation. Better Place is building the infrastructure and intelligent network to deliver a range of services to drivers, enable widespread adoption of electric cars, and optimize energy use. The Better Place network addresses historical limitations to adoption by providing unlimited driving range in a convenient and accessible manner. The company works with all parts of the transportation ecosystem, including automakers, battery suppliers, energy companies, and the public sector, to create a compelling solution. Based in California and privately held, Better Place has operating companies in Israel, Denmark, and Australia. More information is available at www.betterplace.com.