Radar - Oil aboard

Electric car inventor drives his point home to US house of representatives

Written By: Sylvie Barak

A BOFFIN TOLD the US House of Representatives that a US electric car infrastructure could be set up for the price of only two months' worth of oil.

Shai Agassi CEO of Project Better Place argued thats for "$100 billion, we can put in place the infrastructure needed to power the nation's cars and end this oil dependence".

Knowing that trying to woo politicians with only the promise of a greener future was probably futile, Agassi threw in an incentive that of the $100 billion, 80 per cent would go into creating jobs for American citizens. Or underpaid illegal Mexican aliens, whoever applied first.

Pushing his luck even further, Agassi went on to say that for the price of one whole year's worth of oil (some $500 billion), fully renewable electrical generation could easily be achieved, enabling all of America's cars to be powered oil-less-ly.

Razzle-dazzling the reps at a Select Committee hearing on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Agassi explained that if the average American got 25 miles (40 kms) per gallon (3.8 litres) and paid $4 for every gallon guzzled, he'd end up paying 16 cents per mile (1.6km). Still with us?

Meanwhile, the operating costs of an electric car, including the depreciation of the battery, works out at only six cents a mile. Savings in Europe where petrol is even more ludicrously expensive would be significantly higher.

Banging on, Agassi cajoled the house, noting that with American's averaging 2.6 cars per household (one usually a big brute of an SUV driven by a chirpy 'soccer mom') "there is no reason that one of them can't be all electric for use on every trip of 120 miles or less."

Agassi has already raised some $200 million in investor capital for building an electric grid in Israel, where drivers will be able to change or charge batteries quicker than it would take to fill up a full tank of petrol. The Israeli government has already promised to give tax breaks to anyone driving an electric car, and it is a vision Agassi is passionate about.

"We can build a virtual oil field; one that works better and leaves no footprint", he gushed.

Agassi also told the Select Committee, that his firm was currently in talks with over 30 different countries to try to implement his firm's technology. Let's just hope his little speech didn't drive the house mad.