Hawaii becoming a Better Place to drive green

William Atkins
Thursday, 04 December 2008 05:49

Science - Energy

Hawaiian governor Linda Lingle announced that the state will coordinate Better Place car battery exchange stations for electric vehicles on its islands. If Hawaii is pursuing such green driving practices, why aren’t the other U.S. states doing it, too? Actually, California is!


Announced on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, governor Lingle is spearheading the Hawaiian government’s plan to make itself independent from foreign oil because of its high petroleum imports.

According to the CNET News article Hawaii unveils plans for Better Place, “Better Place stations, similar in concept to gas stations, offer drivers with electric vehicles an automated system that swaps out exhausted lithium ion car batteries for fully-charged ones.”

The state of Hawaii and the Hawaiian Electric Company are leading the development of the Better Place project, which intends to build an alternative transportation system based on electric vehicles.

Better Place stations will be located throughout Hawaii so that electric vehicle drivers can bring in their exhausted battery for a fully charged one. Each Better Place station will consist of an “intelligent” battery recharging network.

CMET adds, “The swapping system is intended to be convenient for both drivers and local electric companies, since Better Place can recharge the exhausted batteries with excess electricity generated from renewable sources during off-peak electricity hours.”

Hawaii is reported to spend about $7 billion each year on oil imports, and its drivers consistently pay some of the highest prices for gasoline when compared to the other 49 U.S. states.

The Better Place project is part of Hawaii’s recently approved Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI), which places a goal of using “clean” energy for 70% of its uses by the year 2030.

Page two talks about the founder and current CEO of Better Place, and his Hawaiian project.