Greener than gas, electric car charging stations incoming
By Matt Jansen
It looks like California is continuing to lead the way in the United States when it comes to embracing hybrid and electric vehicles. A company in Palo Alto is at the center, planning to invest $1 billion in building a network of charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles. Could the smell of gasoline become a thing of the past?
Better Place is a venture-backed company that talks very openly in the public eye about reducing dependence on foreign oil and helping to preserve the environment. But their efforts have obvious profit implications, especially with a nation that is poised to jump into electrical dependency. Even a slight margin on something necessary for a basic infrastructure need like transportation adds up quickly.
The company says:
We believe the successful solution includes a confluence of leadership involving California’s strength in technology and innovation coupled with Michigan’s automotive manufacturing might, with the right policy and national project leadership from Washington, according to PC Mgazine.
Those are good words to hear, and they inspire hope, especially if companies like GM and Ford can find a way to muddle a way through their current financial woes. Of course, if foreign companies end up owning those manufacturing facilities, the United States could find itself in a declining trend of cash outflows.
Or, if the government loans fall through, it’s possible that new automotive companies will start up and breathe new innovation into the struggling industry.
But current automotive industry woes aside, three cities will be participating in the infrastructure upgrade: San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland, and “the mayors will also work to identify and secure a suitable standard (110V) for electric outlets to be in every government building in 2009; and work on a roll-out plan for placement of 220V EV charging equipment throughout each city including city parking lots and curbside parking.”
It sounds like a promising partnership between the public and private sectors.
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November 23rd, 2008
Who pays for that electricity, and how?
How much more coal do we need to burn to generate all that extra charging electricity?
Let the Detroit automakers fail, and let companies not mired in 100 years of debt give us innovative products without the cost increasing burden of the Big 3.