San Francisco Looks to Rule the Electric Car World
The San Francisco Bay Area has the reputation as one of the most environmentally active parts and green of the country. As the economic downturn sweeps through the tech sector the Bay area is looking to clean technology for a new source of jobs, income and prestige.
"I'm a guy driving a hybrid, and I don't feel particularly good about it," San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom told a news conference, adding that electric cars would be a "game-changer" for cutting carbon emissions which cause global warming.
Renault and Nissan Motors recently signed on with other Better Place projects. Better Place is developing networks in Denmark, Israel, and Australia. Better Place Chief Executive Shai Agassi in an interview said the network to support the cars with charging stations would cost about $1 billion with a quarter of that needed for a test phase in 2010-2011. Cities in the San Francisco region said they would offer incentives and standardize infrastructure with Better Place to offer electric cars as a service at prices similar or below standard cars.
"We've got a year and a half to bring the capital in," he said, acknowledging the tough economic environment and arguing that the network would be a good investment.
He told reporters that he hoped the US "Big Three" automakers, GM, Ford and Chrysler, would join the plan as it expands.
The Prius is the latest Toyota model to hit the headlines for acceleration issues as the hybrid has experienced two high profile runaway incidents this week alone.
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Here is a quick comparison of the Toyota Prius and the Chevy Volt.
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Nissan unveiled their new electric car the Nissan Leaf that will hit the market in 2010 and get easily 100 mpg per charge.
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Honda Motors plans to roll out a gas-electric hybrid version of its Fit subcompact next year. The Honda Fit hybrid is expected in late 2010 and Honda is hoping to tap growing demand for low-emission vehicles.
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Toyota has the Supra Hybrid back in the plans for 2011 and it will be the sharpest hybrid on the market when it arrives.
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