Better Place
A detailed look at the dreams and failure of Better Place
If you've been curious about why Better Place went under, have we got the 8,000-word profile for you. For your weekend reading, check out a detailed history of the company's downfall over in Fast Company. Max Chafkin writes an engaging tale of the ups and downs that Better Place went through, and the personalities involved, foremost among them found
EVTV offers deal of the decade on used Better Place battery packs
While the dark cloud that was the Better Place bankruptcy may have had a silver lining for some in Israel, in the US that cumulonimbus is wrapped with lithium. Or, more precisely, lithium
Renault moves all Fluence Z.E. production to Korea
Carlos Ghosn sort of hinted that this day would come. And the Better Place bankruptcy didn't help either. For a variety of reasons, Renault has stopped making the Fluence Z.E. in Turkey. The car is stil
Used Better Place EVs sold at steep discount in Israel
Half-off on electric vehicles that can go about three-quarters range on a single charge? That's more or less what the new owner of Better Place's battery-switching and EV-charging network in Israel is proposing for a bunch of Renault Fluence Z.E. vehicles that it has to get off of its hands. Gnrgy, which now owns the used
Did Better Place end up hurting EV industry in Israel, Denmark?
Tennyson said that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, but when it comes to affection towards the dearly departed Better Place battery-swapping technology, Israeli and Danish drivers of plug-in vehicles may beg to differ. Those two countries were the first markets for the company, which went out of business in May after burning through about $850 million over a five-year period. And now, drivers in th
Yet another Better Place sale falls through; Iceland's NLE ready to buy
It is apparently quite a hassle to buy the remains of Better Place. The last potential buyer, EV Net Group, missed a payment deadline at the end of September, leading a judge to void the purchase. The buyers were supposed to pay NIS 1.8 million (US$505,000), which was 20 percent of the total purchase price and did, in fact, hand over a postdated check for that amount. But that wasn't good enough. According to Haaretz, attorn
'Captain Sunshine' not going to buy Better Place after all
Solar pioneer "Captain Sunshine," aka Yosef Abramowitz, has failed in his bid to take over bankrupt company Better Place, which specializes in electric vehicle charging and battery swaps. Abramowitz, who built Israel's first commercial
Shai Agassi tells Detroit how to respond to Tesla
Shai Agassi is offering advice to automakers worried about the power of Tesla Motors: compete directly with fellow mega-OEMs, not with Tesla. Agassi, who founded the now-defunct Better Place, made a few interesting points on Jon LeSage
Better Place bankruptcy still causing problems for EV drivers in Hawaii
The fallout of the Better Place bankruptcy is still being felt in Hawaii and leaving some plug-in vehicle drivers with far fewer charging opportunities than they originally suspected. According to an article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, OpConnect took over the Better Place charging infrastructure in Hawaii – made up of 77 charging stations there – after the I
Bankrupt Better Place sold to Sunrise group for about $12 million
With a fresh, kid-friendly look on the official website (see above), there appears to be new life in Better Place. The Israeli electric vehicle charging and battery swap station company was approved for sale to Sunrise for almost $5 million. In May, Better Place announced bankruptcy proceedings.
Israel's 'Captain Sunshine' interested in buying Better Place
The man known to some in Israel as "Captain Sunshine" may bring bankrupt battery-swapping firm Better Place out of the dark by potentially buying the company's assets, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Renault takes Better Place bankruptcy in stride, says EVs are still a focus
Renault says the recent bankruptcy filing by battery-swapping technology firm Better Place will do little to dissuade the automaker (and sister company Nissan) from continuing to try and boost electric-vehicle sales worldwide.
Better Place announces bankruptcy, board says it 'stands by the original vision'
It came as a shock when Better Place founder Shai Agassi was ousted as CEO last October, but today's announcement that the company will enter bankruptcy proceedings is a little less of a surprise. After all, since Agassi left, there have been Sebastian Blanco
Carlos Ghosn says no more battery swap cars
The world's biggest proponent of electric vehicles appears to be exchanging his support for the concept of swappable batteries. Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn says the Renault Fluence ZE will likely be the only model from the French automaker to have the ability for its battery to be changed out at battery-recharging stations such as the
California rethinks battery-swap status in ZEV mandate
In February, the world's best-known plug-in battery-swapping network left California. Now, it looks like the state's not too keen on the concept.
Shai Agassi: Bill Clinton's best advice was that EVs should be free
Shai Agassi has been pondering what it will take for electric vehicles to beat cheap gasoline-powered competitors. And he got some advice from former president Bill Clinton in 2006: giving away the car is a sure way to succeed.
Better Place founder Shai Agassi still believes in swappable-batteries, subscription miles
Shai Agassi's faith remains strong. The Better Place founder, who was removed as the company's CEO in October, still believes that a company that powers electric vehicles with swappable batteries and a subscription-based revenue model can be successful ... if operated properly.
Better Place swaps US, Australia operations for a focus on Israel, Denmark
Better Place, the electric-vehicle battery-swapping technology developer, is swapping out its US and Australia operations to save cash and will focus its efforts on Denmark and Israel.
Better Place's second CEO in four months steps down
Better Place has long promoted itself to the electric-vehicle advocate community as the expert in battery-swapping technology. Turns out, the company is proficient at swapping out its CEOs, too.
Renault's Australian EV launch delayed by Better Place issues
Better Place continues to be a bit of a misnomer as issues with the electric-vehicle battery-switching network have delayed Renault's plans to debut its Fluence Z.E. electric vehicle in Australia, Car Advice reports.