ABSTRACT
In February 2010, Better Place opened its first demonstration center in Israel, constructed inside a refurbished industrial oil storage tank, with a 1.5 km test track allowing visitors to drive an electric car. The demonstration center showcased Better Place's ambitious plan to challenge the status quo in a complex and rigid industry. In addition, Better Place had announced partnerships with firms and governments in Denmark, the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan and had engaged in conversations with 25 other governments around the world. As envisioned by Better Place, drivers would sign up for a service plan with an Electric Recharge Grid Operator in which "electricity will be sold in miles as opposed to kilowatt hours." Better Place market research found that the top 25 percent of drivers consumed 66 percent of gasoline in the US, and believed this ratio to be broadly true in other target countries.
