Our Plan

The Opportunity

Better Place Australia is part of a global company dedicated to zero emissions driving.

We will enable the mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia by providing the infrastructure and services that make it easy, affordable and attractive for motorists to adopt and drive electric vehicles.

We are working with car and battery manufacturers to ensure a complete, efficient and compelling solution built around desirable EVs equipped with a new generation of safe, recyclable and reliable lithium-ion batteries. Our electric charging system, infrastructure and services will effectively replace those currently provided by the $20B retail petroleum industry to support petrol engine cars.

The switch to EVs will allow drivers to experience both the convenience of starting each day with a “full tank” and the exhilaration of smooth, quiet, and powerful acceleration. Drivers will no longer have to worry about fluctuating petrol prices, or be concerned that they are adversely affecting the air their family breathes or the climate of the planet. They can also enjoy the economic benefits of lower maintenance and longer life cycles of simpler and more reliable motors. The benefits of this transition for Australia will be dramatic: from cleaner air and lower emissions, to a stronger economy with more jobs and a healthier future for the car manufacturing and renewable energy sectors.

The Future is Electric

Personal transport in Australia will switch to electricity due to its superior economic, environmental and energy security outcomes.

Given the two to three times greater efficiency of electricity over petrol for powering a vehicle, and the lower cost of renewable based electricity than petrol as a source of power, there are huge economic benefits to be realised from investing in the infrastructure and batteries required to make the switch. Moreover, the cost of renewable energy and batteries will continue to fall while oil and other fossil fuels become more expensive.

EVs are also aligned with long-term trends in environmental and energy policy. EVs using renewable energy have no tail pipe emissions and no CO2 emissions. The shift to electric powered vehicles also significantly improves energy security and can benefit load management across the grid. Over the long term EVs also allow changes to the energy source without further changes to the fleet or infrastructure as new energy technologies – such as solar and geothermal – become more viable.

Unlike other alternative fuels, such as hydrogen and biofuels, EVs utilise an already existing energy distribution infrastructure – the electricity grid. This means the conversion to electricity can happen faster and for more vehicles.

Better Place can make EVs a reality for all

To fully enable the transition to renewable energy powered electric vehicles, Better Place will:

Install international standard charge spots in home garages, in car parks in offices, retail and commercial areas, and in local streets so that drivers can always stay fully charged
Develop and provide in-car information services which make energy management automatic and easy for drivers
Build range extending battery switch stations so that drivers can switch batteries during longer journeys in less than the time it takes to fill a petrol tank
Provide and maintain the lithium ion batteries for EVs, reducing the up-front cost of an EV purchase for the car buyer
Work with developers and suppliers of renewable energy to ensure we deliver zero emissions driving to our customers
Implement our vehicle and network management software to make sure the system is simple and cost effective for drivers and minimises impact on the electricity grid

The Better Place solution can work for the whole Australian fleet

The Better Place solution will work for the whole Australian fleet because our “smart charging” network management software actively manages energy demand from vehicles connected to our system. We can minimise the requirements for generation, transmission and distribution capacity that would otherwise result as more and more people plugged in their electric cars.
Our solution is also based on international standards currently being developed within the ISO and IEC. This will allow drivers of internationally compliant plug-in hybrid EVs and other EVs to “roam” to our system and ensure an open, competitive market for EV services

Download our Better Place Australia Brochure.

Find out more about the Better Place solution.