Ireland for Better Place

Comment

Comment by Safe Drivers Alert on February 6, 2010 at 2:12pm

Greetings

Comment by Bill Thomas on November 6, 2009 at 9:47pm

Also, I don't think the US would allowed it as by its nature, it is anti capitalism because one system powers all cars so no need for market competition. Though 2012 and beyond the car manufacturers are still releasing the same old crap that was current in 1993 but with different models. Im a true believer in Corn ethanol as corn ruined my country, made everyone fat, instead of putting it in our gas tanks. www.youtube.com/corn4carsnotppl

Comment by Bill Thomas on November 6, 2009 at 9:39pm

Well this is an interesting system. There is only one way it could really work!! Thats the government owning the batteries, people could not be allowed to charge at home, unless they had an off grid garage or parking port ( Solar/Wind/Hydro) to not overload the grid. Have Solar powered parking ports everywhere, and in small countries like Ireland!!! Here in the USA this system would not work, except for Hawaii and for people who never commute long distances!

Comment by Padraic McDonnell on July 7, 2009 at 6:30am

Electric Dreams, Good link

New man in charge, good link

Comment by Padraic McDonnell on July 7, 2009 at 5:15am

It was looking good a year ago according to this article by the Sunday Post, “Company in talks to set up electric car network”

However, it seems that there is a different agenda, read this article by Moter city.ie., “ESB Say No to Better Place”, MIT’s Battery Breakthrough is mentioned here, here’s a link to an article on the breakthrough. There’s an interesting article linked on the same page, “ Why should we subsidize".

The above article prompted me to do a little research this morning, and below is the result.
This article “Electric Dreams” fails to acknowledge Agassi’s pledge for zero carbon electricity, and Padraig McManus, ESB chief executive, discusses the plan for ESB (Electricity Supply Board, Majority supplier of electricity in Ireland) to roll out an electric infrastructure for EVs
It seems here in Ireland we’re waiting for the Electric cars to arrive here first, cart before the ass kind of thing, a backward mentality typical of us Irish.
On the same day, the Irish Times print this article “New man in charge”, Better Place welcomed last month's deal between the Irish Government, Renault-Nissan and ESB, paving the way for battery-powered vehicles, seeing itself as ideally positioned to set up the Irish grid. Tal Agassi, Shai's 33-year-old younger brother, heads the company's global infrastructure development speaks to the Irish Times, and this is promising, an extract from the article “According to Better Place, it costs eight US cents a mile to run a car today using an electric battery, and it believes this figure can be brought down to an incredibly low 2 cents a mile by 2020, based on expected improvements in the battery life cycle. This compares to the current average of about 22 cent a mile for cars running on petrol in Ireland.”
While the Irish Government calls the 10% target 'ambitious', Israel has already promised to electrify its entire transport fleet by the same 2020 deadline, meanwhile The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security has published a new report recommending targets whereby all new cars on sale by 2020 would have electric engines, with at least 350,000 electric vehicles in use by that year, 100,000 more than the target already set by the Government of 10% or 250,000 vheicles. The committee has met with Better Place, a start-up led by former SAP executive Shai Agassi. The Better Place model is that the battery, which makes up a major cost of an electric vehicle, would be treated separately to the car, Irish Times (2009). Among the report’s key recommendations are:
• The Government should immediately prioritise the setting up of an independent Electric Vehicle Task Force, including private sector experts with a full-time international expert appointed to drive the project. He/she should be assisted by a four to five person full-time support group of expert advisors. This group should engage with the main players - motor manufacturers, battery producers and energy experts - at a global level to put a roadmap in place, with a view to promoting Ireland as an R&D Centre and testing ground for emerging battery electric vehicle technologies.
• The mandate of the Task Force should also include an assessment, based on international best practice, of the most efficient tax and incentive package that may be required to accelerate the rapid deployment of battery electric vehicle technologies on the island of Ireland.
• Set a clear legislative landscape and a strategic framework for 2020 and beyond with regard to vehicle efficiency standards, which will act as a driver for technological innovation. Develop a 20 year roadmap for the ongoing development of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
• As forecast emissions by 2020 from passenger cars is some 8.1 million tonnes, the proposal set out in this submission is potentially the single largest greenhouse gas emission reduction measure currently under consideration. The Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Project therefore justifies the allocation of substantial public resources. It is anticipated that significant private sector investment will be forthcoming provided the right regulatory framework conditions are put in place.
• Promote Ireland as a research centre for batteries, internal combustion engines for hybrids, electric motors, control systems, energy saving systems and battery recycling.
Here’s a link to the actual report here.

On Morning Ireland: Energy Minister Eamon Ryan explains the Government's goals to increase the number of electric vehicles on Irish roads Listen here. Note the use of the words “battery changing system”, which he doesn’t go on to explain.

Conclusions
The negative view
Too many conflicting vested interests (fear of losing), lack of leadership in Ireland, and the general lack of knowledge among Irish citizens about Electric cars.
The positive view
Ireland actually develops a plan for an electric infrastructure for vehicles, investment comes from within Ireland in order for potential losers to become winners, knowledge among Irish citizens about Electric cars drives a desire for ordinary Irish people to buy electric cars.

The best till last Norway: plan to ban petrol, diesel cars by 2015, click here .

Comment by Olivier on June 26, 2009 at 1:05pm

Ambitious €200m plan to build Ireland’s largest wind farm
SiliconRepublic.com

C&F to create 250 jobs with wind turbine design
IrishTimes.com

Comment by Olivier on June 12, 2009 at 7:37am

Hi Sean,

Thank you SO MUCH for this VERY interesting video/conference :)

Warm regards,

Olivier

Comment by Sean Dunleavy on June 12, 2009 at 2:53am

Comment by Padraic McDonnell on June 12, 2009 at 2:22am

Electric car firm sees major green boost
Sunday, May 24, 2009 - By Dick O’Brien
"Better Place, the US based firm hoping to build an electric car network in Ireland, has announced what it terms a major milestone in its development, with the successful demonstration of its new battery-switching technology in the Japanese city of Yokohama."http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2009/05/24/story41887.asp

Comment by Olivier on June 11, 2009 at 7:18am

Renault, Nissan to supply electric cars in Ireland
http://uk.reuters.com/article/motoringAutoNews/idUKL395725120090403

L'Irlande roulera électrique avec Renault-Nissan
- LeParisien.fr

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