Better Place, the mobility operator, has signed a deal with the governor of Hawaii to build an electric-car network in the US state.

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The move is only the second of its kind announced in the US.


“Attracting investments into the state is a major component of our Five-Point Action Plan to help stimulate the economy,” said governor Linda Lingle. “Today’s announcement is a significant move towards our state gaining independence from foreign oil. This public-private partnership is exactly the type of investment we have been working on as we continue to carry out our Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI), moving toward the goal of 70% clean energy for the state. It highlights the importance we place on finding innovative ways to attract investments in energy technology,” she added.


Better Place plans to begin permitting for the network within the next year and begin introducing vehicles within 18 months, with mass-market availability of electric cars in 2012.


Hawaii joins Israel, Denmark, Australia and California as markets for Better Place’s electric car networks.

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“Hawaii, with its ready access to renewable energy resources like solar, wind, wave and geothermal, is the ideal location to serve as a blue print for the rest of the US in terms of reducing our dependence on foreign oil, growing our renewable energy portfolio and creating an infrastructure that will stabilise our economy,” said Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO of Better Place.


Hawaiian Electric Companies and Better Place Hawaii have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the infrastructure and energy needs to power a network of public charging spots and battery swapping stations with renewable energy.