Written by Dennis Liu, Four Green Steps

The host of the next generation car battery service is about to inaugurate the revolution of electric cars. The faceoff between gasoline and electric batteries will begin in Israel as Better Place plans the launch of a network of car battery charging/switching stations in late 2011. After the network’s deployment, it will be responsible to facilitate all electric cars running in the whole country!

Better Place’s plan is to build car battery stations conveniently located throughout the country, so electric vehicles (EVs) owners can charge or replace their car batteries whenever needed. The system works like this: a customer can buy an electrically powered car without the battery, and buy a membership package from Better Place. The membership will allow the consumer to use Better Place’s quality guaranteed car batteries; to get unlimited access to Better Place’s stations to either charge the battery or replace the depleted battery for a new one; to have an in-car navigating system so the consumer can know how much energy the battery has and where the closest battery station is; and to have 24-hour access to the customer service and support department.

After the plantation of Better Place’s network infrastructure, Isaeli will be able to travel across the whole country in an EV without worrying the battery being depleted. The company’s goal is to help an EV driver travel inside Israel with no range limitations. Stations will be reachable from anywhere for charging or replacing the car battery. Charging stations are for people who have time, such as cars parked temporarily or overnight in a parking lot. A fully depleted battery will take 4 to 8 hours to charge to completion, or 30 minutes to 80% of charge. Better Place considered technologies that completely charge a battery in less than 10 minutes, but it is too expensive to be feasible right now. If the driver does not have too much time, a battery replacement station is the place to go. The automated systems at these stations will replace the car battery with a fully charged one in less than 5 minutes. People in the EV do not even have to step outside. This system is fast, convenient, and reliable which could be even better than the gasoline pump we are so adapted currently.

Each EV will use a lithium-ion car battery. These batteries are much more functional than before, boasting the energy to power a car for 160 kilometers on a single charge. Today’s technologies honed them to be stable, high abuse tolerant and low heat generating. These lithium-ion batteries are made with nontoxic materials and clever designs to ensure the safety of every costumer. Environmentally speaking, lithium-ion car batteries are superb because they are durable and recyclable. A normal battery can last about 8 years and 2,000 recharges, which means in its lifetime, the battery can support a car to travel 320,000 kilometers. Furthermore, 95% of the battery materials can be reused. Better Place also claims that there will continue to be plenty of lithium supplies.

EVs could potentially be so convenient with Better Place’s recharging network, that they might replace gas consuming cars. For the betterment of our environment, Better Place is taking the lead to change the preference for a whole country’s transportation method. Will this be a success? The time to find out is soon!

Image credit: zvuvisisrael.blogspot.com

| More...