Make a Better Place for you and for me…
Thursday, October 16th, 2008Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi is on a mission: to make Israel free of gasoline-powered cars by 2015. He launched his electric-car start-up, Project Better Place, in 2007 to turn his idea into reality. Using his connections and reputation from previous positions, Agassi got backing from automakers Renault and Nissan and $200 million in funding from Morgan Stanley. His goal is not just to build a cool car (though the prototype goes from 0 to 60mph in 8 seconds flat), but to end dependence on oil. Israel, he believes, is the perfect testing ground.
Agassi was also recently featured as one of TIME Magazine’s 2008 Heroes of the Environment.
What do you think? What makes Israel such an ideal spot to try out the electric car? Do you think a project like this could ever work in the United States? Why or why not?