Hawaii--when we hear the state mentioned, we tend to think of luaus, clear blue oceans, tropical plants, and hay skirts. But the state also wants electric cars to become a part of it's global image. Governor Linda Lingle unveiled a plan for the island to create an entire electric car network by the year 2012, in effect battling global warming and ending the state's heavy reliance on foreign oil.
Daily Tech writes:
Electric car company Better Place will be the company responsible for building the electric car network that will cost an estimated $200 million to $250 million in construction. Better Place has not signed any investors for the project, but will intensify its search in the immediate future...
Consumers who purchase or lease electric cars will be able to visit Better Place supply recharging service locations to switch out their lithium ion car battery for a full-charged new one. Better Place will then recharge the new battery during off-peak electricity hours.
I can't help but think of Hawaii as the ultimate island paradise when the plan is in full effect. Noisy, exhaust-spilling engines would be replaced by the quiet hum of electric vehicles, allowing the ocean waves to be heard from almost anywhere in the state. Any smog in the air would clear up, and instead of getting out of the car to pump gas, an assistant would come over and install a new battery instead.
Better Place anticipates it will build somewhere around 50,000 to 100,000 charge spots across Hawaii by 2011, with Governor Lingle hoping to cut at least 70 percent of the state's fossil fuel use by 2030. With Hawaii stepping up to be the U.S. pioneers of the green revolution, we may expect other electric car networks to start trickling their away across the rest of the states.
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