Obama Will Adopt 14 Month Old Child From Israel

Apart from keeping an eye on the imploding world economy, North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, a Russia that is flexing its muscles, and other minor annoyances, “the incoming Obama administration is closely monitoring the innovative electric car project being developed by Israel’s Better Place company,” writes the Jerusalem Post. Idan Ofer, chairman of Better Place, says [hopes?] that Obama “may be adopting it.” Also according to Ofer “a leading US car manufacturer” is “putting together a team” to work on the project. Now who might that be? “Renault-Nissan agreed 18 months ago to build the first cars, and will be mass-producing hundreds of thousands of the electric-powered vehicles by 2010,” Ofer said to the paper. So why the need for a leading US car manufacturer? For all we know, the US car manufacturers are leading straight into C11.

Ofer doesn’t suffer from a lack of self-esteem. When “you hear announcements” from the incoming administration about reviving Detroit with electric cars, job creation in battery factories and modernizing the national electricity grid, the Better Place chairman reckons “you’ll know that it will have come from us.”

Surprisingly, the Renault-Nissan vehicles will cost about the same as conventional cars for now. Ultimately, though, allegedly, it will be cheaper. Ofer also claims they have comparable acceleration, can reach comparable speeds (of 150 to 180 kph) and can run 150-200 kilometers on a single battery. In short: Miracles on wheels.

Better Place was established 14 months ago by entrepreneur Shai Agassi. Despite the confidence, the company seems to suffer from a little bit of an identity crisis. According to Wikipedia, “Better Place is a California-based, venture-backed company that aims to reduce global dependency on petroleum through the creation of a market-based transportation infrastructure that supports electric vehicles, providing consumers with a cheaper, cleaner, sustainable, personal transportation alternative. Better Place will build its first Electric Recharge Grids in Denmark, Israel and Australia where the electricity will be generated by renewable energy.” According to their website, “Better Place is working to build an electric car network.”

So what are they? A car builder that will be adopted by Obama the minute he enters office? Or a builder of recharge stations?

The San Jose Business Journal is convinced that Better Place is in the grid business: “San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and Reed announced last month to transform the Bay Area into the “Electronic Vehicle Capital of the United States.” Palo Alto-based startup Better Place, which is building electric vehicle networks powered by renewable energy, is leading the effort.”

A case of mistaken identity? Two Better places maybe, one in CA, one in Israel? Not so: both Better Places were founded by Shai Agassi. The EV business sure is wild and wooly.