Hawaii to get clean energy transportation with electric cars
Pacific Business News (Honolulu)
Hawaii may soon build a plug-in network to keep electric cars running.
Gov. Linda Lingle and Shai Agassi, founder and CEO of Better Place, announced Tuesday the agreement to bring more electric cars to Hawaii.
“Attracting investments into the state is a major component of our Five-Point Action Plan to help stimulate the economy”, said Lingle, in a statement. “Today’s announcement is a significant move towards our state gaining independence from foreign oil. This public-private partnership is exactly the type of investment we have been working on as we continue to carry out our Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, moving toward the goal of 70 percent clean energy for the state of Hawaii. It highlights the importance we place on finding innovative ways to attract investments in energy technology.”
Better Place, a self-described "sustainability mobility operator," plans to begin permitting for the network within the next year and start introducing the vehicles within 18 months, with mass-market availability of electric cars in 2012.
Better Place and Hawaiian Electric Co. signed an agreement to collaborate on the infrastructure and energy needs to power public charging spots and battery swapping stations with renewable energy.
Hawaii is only the second state in the nation to make the move to setting up a network for electric cars, along with California. Israel, Denmark and Australia also have committed to the electric cars.
California-based Better Place was founded in October 2007.
For more information, visit the Better Place Web site.
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