For him several conditions are necessary

Hard to imagine that a simple start-up lost in the hills of Palo Alto, in the heart of Silicon Valley, becoming a major player in the automobile revolution preparing. And yet, it is the ambition of Better Place.

The story begins in Davos, in 2006. Invited by the famous World Economic Forum, Shai Agassi, then "chief technology officer" of the German editor of SAP software, is invited to submit ideas "to make the world more pleasant to live in 2020 than it is today." He proposed one: that the car of the future is electric and therefore non-polluting but also that its use and its mode of use become radically different. His project: a car that would operate with a "subscription", as a common mobile phone. At the end of its intervention, Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel, present in the room, addresses it. Seduced by the concept, he is willing to help him. Only one condition: it is Israel that will have to be designed vehicle of the future.

Better Place is (almost) born. Two years later, Shai Agassi left SAP. And launches into a formidable race to funding and support (industrial, political, technological, etc.) to transform his dream in reality. Because, to cover the world of electric cars, requires money, lots of money. Of at least $ 1 billion. In a few weeks, its networks and its interpersonal skills, it brings more than 200 million, of which develop the necessary technologies and finance the first full-scale experiments. This initial funding is in itself a record. It is one of the five most important in the history of Silicon Valley. Shai Agassi begins to believe. "We will carry out the car 2.0", he said then.

Rapid exchange of battery

The success of this bold bet going primarily by the accession of the motorist. For him, several conditions are necessary. Priority is to satisfy that it may not lead the dry crash with his new vehicle or that charges its battery is not every day the obstacle course.

That is why the first step by Better Place is the construction of a network of terminals and stations to a new genus. Infrastructure to fabricate from scratch, which justifies in large part the business financing needs.

The first generation of these pillars is ready. They have the form of a plot of 1 metre in height about, put on the ground. Connected to the electrical grid, they are equipped with a grip on which it will connect his car to the reload, at least partially. Statistically, an individual vehicle rolls while 5 of a day. It is therefore sufficient that there is a sufficient number of these terminals to the places where one station generally (to home, on his place of work, on the parking commercial centres, etc.) so that the problem is resolved. In part at least. Because, after a long trip (over 100 kilometres) or intensive use of the battery, another treatment is necessary. This is the second face of the network appears.

Better Place also wants to build maintenance stations in which it will be possible to perform a standard exchange of its battery in less time than it takes today to make a tank of gas. "It is here that appears the first originality of our economic model," said Sydney Goodman, Better Place Vice-President, responsible for alliances with the car manufacturers. "By purchasing its electric car, the motorist endorsed a plan to gain access to this network." The cost of this "subscription" will vary depending on the needs of each, but Better Place ensures that pricing will be broadly competitive price for a passage to the pump.

Develop a network they pay that access is supposed to respond to the second great challenge now facing the electric car available to motorists. Keeping the property of the batteries, the company attempts to solve the problem of the initial cost of purchase of this type of vehicle. Currently, its price, equal category, is significantly higher than that of a gasoline car, making it prohibitive for the general public. Agassi, he claimed clear 40 of the invoice of the electric vehicle, which would make immediately competitive.

Further standardization

Remains the most difficult: convince the other parties to join the project. And in the first place, the automakers themselves. A first step has already been crossed. In January 2007, at the Davos forum again, the CEO of the Renault-Nissan, Carlos Ghosn group, is committed to provide cars for the first deployment in actual size of the device, to be held the year next in Israel. Questioned, the French manufacturer refuses to specify what models and how many vehicles would deliver it. For its part, his ally Nissan is little more specific, acknowledging only that it currently tests a prototype. While Renault have committed $ 1.5 billion in the development of new electric vehicles, Better Place leaders do not have the shadow of a doubt: the French-Japanese group will be well to the appointment, in 2010, in Tel-Aviv and in its region. Other manufacturers may follow, possibly Japanese.

In any event, even with the support of several of them, the part not would not yet won certainly. Because the success of the project is also based on a standardization further batteries and the technique of electrical supplies, so that a maximum of vehicles can connect to the Terminal. Better Place is at the heart of the discussions that take place on these issues and involving builders struggling automobile, electrical network operators, equipment manufacturers...

On-board computer

But, even if such standardization is the day This is easier to implement when it comes to a new market, it will take a further step: adjust the motorist to the specificity of its new energy source. In terms of driving first, but mainly on the maintenance plan. Thus, that vehicles of the Better Place network take full advantage of the infrastructure at their disposal, they will be with a computer of edge equipped with very specific software. Which will inform the driver on the State of battery charge but more importantly to create radically new interaction with his vehicle will enable. For example, it will indicate the location where it will be possible to reload it at the next stop.

Much more fundamental, the on-board computer will also communicate with the network of the electricity distributor fueling reloading terminals. Because the exchange of information will be essential when electric cars will operate by the millions. Indeed, their energy needs will become significant for the electrician and it is to be able to manage priorities and charge accordingly. "It is the issue of the negotiations we are currently conducting with companies in the sector," said Sydney Goodman.

If the Better Place model seems attractive, its complexity might however be a fragility. He does that at the present time, the project has the wind in its sails. Israel, the start-up has concluded agreements with the Denmark, Australia, Hawaii and of course Silicon Valley to put in place its infrastructure. Last November, at a Conference in San Francisco, at the initiative of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Mayor of the city and its counterpart in San Jose announced that they would deploy the system to Better Place in the region. "There is no reason that large manufacturers leave no attempt by such schema", wants to believe Rod Lache, analyst in the automobile sector at Deutsche Bank Securities. But it will take that first experiences are a success for large industrial and financial actors are willing to commit.