Project Better Place

[JRP3]

BP board chairman drives a Tesla Roadster :biggrin:

He had sold his Audi A6 and now drove only his electric Tesla Roadster and Fluence Z.E. “Now, my only official role is chairman of Better Place,” he said.

Shai Agassi out at Better Place: Like Tesla without Musk, or Apple minus Jobs | MNN - Mother Nature Network

 

[doug]

Shai Agassi out at Better Place: Like Tesla without Musk, or Apple minus Jobs | MNN - Mother Nature Network

Too bad they never managed to sign up taxi fleets. Fleets that require low downtime are where the battery swap tech makes a lot of sense.

I wonder what Shai Agassi's role will be in the future. He really is the face of the company, and his enthusiasm to me is what sells it, while their pricing model only seems to increase costs. Don't know why Jim Motavalli compares the former CEOs of Better Place and Coda, though. I've never seen Kevin Czinger as charismatic.

 

[dpeilow]

The new chairman comes from oil family stock...

 

[ManuVince]

Too bad they never managed to sign up taxi fleets. Fleets that require low downtime are where the battery swap tech makes a lot of sense.

I wonder what Shai Agassi's role will be in the future. He really is the face of the company, and his enthusiasm to me is what sells it, while their pricing model only seems to increase costs. Don't know why Jim Motavalli compares the former CEOs of Better Place and Coda, though. I've never seen Kevin Czinger as charismatic.

They do. The airport of Amsterdam, has a better place facility that only serves Renault Fluence taxi.

 

[doug]

I was referring to the article which which mentioned no taxi fleets in Israel.

 

[TEG]

Looks like the Tokyo Taxi trial ended two years ago:
Better Place finishes successful Tokyo taxi battery swap trials, Israel and Denmark are next

And the San Francisco trial didn't happen (yet?):
San Francisco electric taxi program faces setbacks | Will Reisman | Local | San Francisco Examiner

 

[dpeilow]

Cash crunch may lead to layoffs at Better Place - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper

 

[dpeilow]

Better Place seeks to broaden its range - FT.com

 

[doug]

The California Energy Commission $3 million grant to Better Place or EV Taxis went here: CA spends $3M on 6 EV Taxis

 

[JRP3]

How Better Place's Electric Car Vision for Israel Went Off Track | TIME.com

 

[rabar10]

How Better Place's Electric Car Vision for Israel Went Off Track | TIME.com

[Joe] Paluska[, VP for global policy and communications] ... defends the Fluence — the model Better Place is committed to purchasing 100,000 from Renault by 2016 — noting it’s the only all-electric car that seats five.

Well, if all Model Ss came with the rear-facing jump seats, I guess he'd be right...

 

[JRP3]

No, LEAF, Fit EV, Focus EV, RAV4EV, all seat 5.

 

[doug]

I'd guess the Coda (uncomfortably) seats five as well. No idea what the guy is talking about.

 

[doug]

Better Place Electric-Car Service: Few Users, More Turmoil

The company agreed to buy 100,000 Fluence ZE models from Renault by 2016, but is now reportedly renegotiating that commitment.

 

[Lloyd]

New for Better Place:

Electric-Vehicle Charging Co. Better Place Plugs In $50M as it Reevaluates Plans - Venture Capital Dispatch - WSJ

 

[doug]

New for Better Place:

Electric-Vehicle Charging Co. Better Place Plugs In $50M as it Reevaluates Plans - Venture Capital Dispatch - WSJ

The only bit related to Better Place:

Better Place has closed on $50 million toward a $100 million convertible note round from two existing investors, as new management of the operator of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles reevaluates its ambitious and expensive business plan. The company’s investors in the convertible note round are its primary backers Israel Corp. and HSBC Holdings, according to Joe Paluska, spokesman for Better Place. “No other majors joined the round,” Paluska said in an email. Better Place’s large investors, which didn’t participate, are VantagePoint Capital Partners and Morgan Stanley

 

[doug]

Report: Better Place laying off hundreds - GigaOm Cleantech News and Analysis

 

[doug]

Better Place Electric-Car Service Delays Australia Rollout - GreenCarReports

Unfortunate about the Fluence delays. I wonder how much longer Better Place has until it gives up the ghost.

 

[doug]

Third Better Place CEO In Four Months Departs

total losses now understood to be $561.5 millon.

 

[Doug_G]

...as they slowly spiral into the drink. I've never thought they had a sensible business model. Hopefully they'll pull out with fleet sales.