California

Better Place and California Bring Electric Vehicles to the United States

Wednesday, 19 Nov 2008

For the past 50 years, California has been known as the birthplace of innovation. Today, the state has announced a historic private/public partnership for sustainable transportation infrastructure and ‘green’ job creation that once again serves as a model for economic and environmental innovation.

California has defined a plan for a sustainable transportation model in which state and local government are working in partnership with the private sector to move the state from greenhouse gas-emitting cars that run on fossil fuel, toward clean, electric cars fueled by renewable energy, supported by an open network infrastructure. Better Place estimates the network investment in the Bay Area will total $1 billion when the system is fully deployed.

The spirit of this initiative represents a confluence of leadership from California, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. In essence, we’re creating a blueprint for economic and environmental recovery for the auto industry, the U.S., and any country wrestling with financial and climate crises.

California, in particular, makes for a compelling example of economic and environmental recovery. The state’s plan makes electric cars cheaper and more appealing to consumers, creates new jobs building a sustainable infrastructure that benefits the environment, opens up new markets for renewable energy, and gives troubled auto makers a viable path forward. As the eighth largest economy in the world, and with a per-household vehicle ownership rate among the highest in the world (about 1.8 cars per household), California joins Israel, Denmark and Australia as world leaders in executing to this bold vision.

And the benefits are just as compelling. California alone is estimated to generate upwards of $2.5 billion in jobs building this new infrastructure, with billions more in car and battery sales to consumers. The nation as a whole can benefit from tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure, manufacturing and innovation investment, every penny of which reduces how much people pay for every mile they drive. And with the proliferation of zero-emission vehicles running on a sustainable infrastructure powered by renewable energy, we are contributing to climate recovery and our collective health.

This is truly a landmark event for California, and the United States. Around the world, Israel, Denmark, Australia, and now California are building the clean transportation infrastructures that lead to long-lasting energy independence, environmental balance, and economic prosperity.

Read the Better Place Press Release.