Israel's New Electric Car Set to Change the Way You Drive

Israel is about to debut a new electric car that may revolutionize the way the world drives. Shai Agassi, founder of Better Place, an electric car enterprise, predicts that, "Within less than this decade the No. 1-selling car in the world will be the electric car."

LOS ANGELES, CA. (Catholic Online) - Agassi boats that he has investors from China looking very seriously at his new car as a means of providing the growing Chinese middle class with affordable cars and the energy to run them on. He isn't shy about his predictions on the return, "It's the biggest financial opportunity the world has ever seen. We're seeing a $10 trillion shift in an industry in less than a decade. It's the Internet, and add another zero."

A frequent criticism of electric cars is the time and infrastructure to recharge them, but Better Place is addressing that as well. The cars have a batter range of about 100 miles, and soon drivers will be able to pull into gas stations and replace their batteries in less than five minutes, trading the low one for the new. The cars can also plug into an outlet at home or even special outlets that are being installed in parking lots. The cars feature a GPS screen that displays information on nearby recharge points allowing drivers to anticipate where their next stop will be.

The current plan is to offer the cars with dual pricing. One price is for the car itself and the other is for the battery. The battery will cost about $2,000 up front, plus a monthly subscription fee based on how much the driver plans to use. Plans will start around $300 USD per month. However, in countries such as Denmark, where gas is about $9 per gallon, the rates will save consumers. Unlimited driving plans will also be available. 

"The car," describes Agassi, "is very, very, very fun to drive." Those who have driven the car in tests claim is feels just like a regular car, and although it does not have the same acceleration it can still reach 60 MPH in less than 10 seconds. And while some may still prefer gas guzzling sports cars for their ability to go zero to 60 in under 5 seconds, Agassi says, "If you've got another five seconds to spare, I can save you $80,000."

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