Rumors about location

Today I have given a speech in Israel at the treasury department. After the presentation a rumor circulated by an anonymous tipster that I named a location and a number of vehicles by 2010. That rumor has been published in the Israeli press, only to be taken off the web within a few hours. The rumor is unfounded and I have not said the words attributed to me.

WE have announced a certain policy at the launch:

1. We will not declare a location, countries will declare their support of our framework
2. We will not declare car makers, they will declare car models.

We stick to that policy.

shai

Comments

[Sanjay Kaul]

Shai,

I am extremely delighted to know of your committment to climate change issues. I got to know about you from Amir of Lithium Tech. I just moved back from Canada to India (my home country) after spending 9 years in fuel cells to work with Electrotherm India in their electric vehicle group. Our goal is to create a leading EV company based out of India and use India's engineering skills and low cost advatage to develop products that are reasonably priced yet meet quality and aesthetic standards at par with western standards. We have started with small electric (750 W - 1000 W) scooters and are now moving on to add a small electric car and light commercial vehicles to our product line. Our committment to EV's is very strong - currently our Chairman is spending all his time and energy in making sure we work with partners and customers across the globe to promote electric vehicles. We would like to establish a contact with you as we are currently in the midst of expanding our reach to European and American markets. We have some ideas around potential collaboration with you. I would appreciate if you could let us know of your interest in having a discussion with us.

Kind Regards,

Sanjay Kaul
Sr. V.P. Corporate Development
Electrotherm India Limited.

[Simon Porter]

Your policy sounds fair enough. I think certain people are just itching to know more about what your company is up to.

I look forward to some announcements in the new year. I really hope this will include the UK.

[arthur levi]

Shai,
A good friend of mine has just been named environment head for the city of Paris. I had lunch with him the other day and spoke to him a bit about PLC. He was most interested in what you are doing.
A few questions:

Do you have a recent update on the two pager I have?
Can I send him this information or other information?
Are you the person at PLC that he should contact?

[Peter Oppewall]

We welcome the important steps forward Project Better Place is taking to implement change by developing infrastructure and support necessary for electric drive vehicle development. I wish your plan was part of the Presidential Climate Action Project, the Energy Future Coalition project, the World Watch sponsored Renewable Path to Energy Security, the World Business Council for Sustainable Mobility project, and the many other efforts being put forth to map out the path to sustainable transportation.

[ishoshan]

Dear Shai,

Governments are short sighted and their only motivation to act is perceived public opinion. You must help the governments make the right decision.

By starting pilots in small isolated and well traveled cities like Las Vegas, Cannes, Eilat and others you might get some traction with the public and be in a better place to negotiate terms with the governments.

It is be a bold strategy, but has better chances to succeed than waiting on politicians

Your success will benefit all!

[Gregory Norminton]

Dear Shai,

Just a quick note to wish your well with your projects. The world desperately needs ecologically responsible entrepreneurs to think big. And as much as the technology, it's the moral stimulus that counts; because even the best politicians leave people demoralised and hopeless about creating a better future.

Good on you and shalom!

Gregory

[Bud Michael]

Shai,
All markets develop at their own pace. Your vision for Better Place is spot on, and you will need to remain nimble, flexible and improvisational to respond to the market's development. This notwithstanding, Better Place needs to place some initial bets on which locations, vehicle types and use cases are most likely to be the early adopters. Invest in these bets, but be ready to adjust to the market feedback.

[Ari]

Shai,

Genius.
Good deal to have a fellow sabra running the show at Tesla...b'seder gamor.
Also, couldn't PBP immediately cater to electric scooters in Israel or elsewhere in Europe. It seems like scooters almost outnumber cars in Israel and gas costs an arm and a leg. With a market already in place poised for growth, why wait for the Volt or Tesla?

[Tzvi Rozenman]

Shai
Your “Project Better Place” vision entails a paradigm shift in the economics of motor vehicles. In comparison with the fossil fuel vehicle, the cost structure of owning and operating electric cars consist of higher fixed costs (the addition of Battery and Motor/Inverter) and lower operating costs (Efficient Electricity vs. Inefficient Fossil fuel). This difference significantly affects the business model of “Project Better Place”.

[Daniel Schiffer]

Dear Mr. Agassi,
Our dear friend Marianne Krueger of the German Technion Association told us that you are an extremely open person, therefore I dare write to you.
Please consider that your initiative needs another leg to stand on, i.e. intensive research to clean and safe (or SAFER) nuclear energy.
This pair - the electric car and safe nuclear energy would be an unbeatable force.
Our "youngest president ever" might also throw his weight behind such an initiative. I don't have to remind us that he is actually the father of nuclear research in Israel.
Please forbear my impertinence.
Daniel Schiffer

[Eric Rosenkranz]

Shai,

A comment and a question:

COMMENT: Your vision is brilliant, and I wish you much success in bringing the offering to market. This is "game changing" technology.

I believe the type of innovation you are personally driving is critical to the longterm stability of the State of Israel. Israel has the opportunity to become a leading exporter of sustainable technology as this market grows. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, you are leading by example in the image of Ben Gurion.

QUESTION: I am currently traveling through Israel and would like to learn more about some of the leading alternative energy projects here in Israel. If I were to set aside a day or two for visits, where would you suggest I go? Is your projct open to visitors? I'm working on a LEED certified devleopment project back in the US and am always looking for new approaches as I travel around. [email protected]

[Dr. Yotam Abramson]

Hello Shai,
My name is Yotam Abramson and I work in the Transportation Research Institute, Technion, with Prof. Doron Balasha.
I did not have the chance to meet you when you visited the Technion, however I will be happy to be able to transfer you some information regarding some projects that might interest you. If this is possible, please, drop me a line to [email protected].
Thanks and best regards,
Dr. Yotam Abramson

[Hermann Mallia]

I have been reading your press release and note "small countries with concentrated population are the likeliest places for this business model to find acceptance". This triggers me to promote to you this small, densly population, Mediterranean and European Union member country with one of the world's highest car ownership per capita. That's my small homeland of Malta.
We are interested to invest and possibly become business partners in this project, especially due to the fact that the local authorities provide tax privelages to electric vehicles.

[Philip Barnea]

I am a teacher at SulamTsor High school in the North of Israel. We are activly trying to promote ecological awarness in students, staff and commynity through various projects. Our largest project which we are beginning now, is the installation of solar panels on the schools buildings to supply the school with most, if not all, of its power needs.

I think, that it is of vital importance that projects such as yours receive coverage amongst the youth who will be tommorrows drivers and car buyers. I am convinced also, that if the younger generation are activly involved in the project in some way, their awarness of the problems and solutions will be greatly increased as will their commitment to pushing for solutions such as your project.

As part of the team promoting ecological awarness and action in the school, I would like very much to see if there is any way we can get the students, staff and local communities involved with your project.

[UDI]

Hello Shai,
my name is udi, i'm a medical doctor, and for quite some time i have been developing a new concept of privet electric transportation.

My idea is concerning the charging process of the electric car battery and the way the car is controlled. I propose an innovative solution of controlling and charging the car that will improve the car safety dramatically, reducing road accidents, and change our conception of private transportation. The solution is based on available technology.
I feel a moral obligation to promote this solution, because it can save lives. Hope you get this message in a bottle..
Sincerely yours
udi

[Hal Woodward]

Shai,

Maybe our dreams will come together at some point in the not too distant future. I have been working toward recharging Lithium Ion batteries on-board the vehicle. I'm building a 1972 BAJA VW Buggy into which I'm going to put a 90hp D&D electric motor. My goal 600 miles without recharging, stop for the night and drive 600 miles farther.

The U.S. Army has been shown my electrolysis device and my idea for a hybrid power generation system and has agreed to a grant for providing on-board power for their PACKBOT, BEAR and ARES robots. This will help to provide the development for the H20BUG Project, which I'm running concurrently. You can see pics of my H20BUG at my MySpace site search American_Inventor and you have my name.

I was the Principle Investigator (Chief Scientist) on the Army Medi-Tag Project and we pulled off innovation that IBM, TRW, EDS, GE and other beltway bandits couldn't invent at 1/100 the dollar investment.

Anyway, I love what you're doing - stay strong and well. You have the same first name as a young Israeli Mechanical Engineer with whom I have worked on the design and development of my electrolysis device and he just returned from Israel and told me about what was being done there. I know that it is probably like saying "Oh, you're from Texas, do you know John Smith", but Shai Cohen is an extraordinarily bright young engineer and he knows lots of the Professors in Israel, who are working on this project, so here comes the question "Have you met Shai before"?

You could be best friends and Shai wouldn't tell me because he doesn't like to "use" his friends. I consider it networking and he sees it otherwise. Figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

When we have H20BUG working, I'd love to show it to you and your group.

Best, Hal Woodward

[Jonathan Romero]

Dear Mr. Agassi:

The Altair Nanotechnologies battery is what you need to make this project work, the first time. It is already used in Phoenix Motorcars. Can be fully charged in as little as 8 minutes (440 volts) and over 20,000 times (battery will outlast the car). It does not overheat or explode like the others. It is a fully developed marketable product not something yet to be completed like the others. The U.S. Navy is exploring its use to replace diesel generators on their ships. Use it in conjunction with Maxwell Technologies Boostcap ultracapacitors and the battery charge will last even longer. AES is using it for grid management, those batteries can handle 2,000,000 watts! It is available now in foreign countries (still under exclusivity contract here in USA with Phoenix). Dubai just bought $4,000,000 worth of stock. It can be the difference. At your service.

[Royse Myers]

Dear Shai: You have a great idea for promoting electric vehicles. Changing batteries is a major problem. Please consider using Altair Nanotechnologies batteries that out perform all storage batteries using Nano Technology. Using a step-up transformer to get about 460 volts from 208 volt service, The Altair batteries will recharge to a high percentage in about ten minutes! Most people will be pleased to wait ten minutes withouit changing batteries. Each filling station can install one of these transformers for about $2500.00!!! A fraction of what you are proposing. I may not have the voltages precise, but you get the idea. Good luck. Royse Myers

[DIMITRI BUFFA, ITALIAN JOURNALIST]

Dear Shai can you send me by e mail some photos of yhis Israeli's electric car, possibly in high definition for an article on the magazine "Economy" in Italy?

thank you dimitri buffa from Rome

0039 346 1245835

[Amit Nisenbaum]

Interesting piece of news about a NYC car service company that is going 100% hybrid - http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=36628. I believe that PBP is planning on targeting taxi companies in transportation islands like NYC as one of the first market segments. Car service companies are a derivative of the taxi industry targeting executives and affluent people who rate convenience high on their priority list. It just so happen that this highly educated customer segment is also more environmentally aware and as such the hybrid bent of the above service makes lots of sense from the competitive differentiation angle. It will make a lot of sense for PBP to pursue such car service companies in parallel to the traditional taxi companies for the same reasons.

Also, note the emission reduction targets (overall for NYC and specifically for the NYC taxi fleet) set by Mayor Bloomberg that are mentioned in the article. I wonder if it is not too late to collaborate with the mayor’s office to update the taxi fleet goal from going completely hybrid (by 2012) to going completely electrical.

[Richard L. Christian]

Shai<\
You should know:
FORD Motor Comapny closed its Taurus plant in Atlanta last year thus a proper facility could be had for 20 cents on the dollar. Equally important the work force is probably still largely available thus minimzing start-up time and effort.

Last year I purchased a 1993 Chevrolet Lumina APV- good aerodynamics. Also not a hotdog sized vehicle which nobody wants. When I bought it, it weighed 3650 lbs. When I had stripped it of all ICE related parts it weighed 2600 lbs. It will weigh 3200 when I have re-installed batteries (Nickel-Zinc), controller and other related components. I am convinced that it would weigh less than 3000 lbs if built of aluminum, but this is beyond my budget or capability. I offer it as food for thought.
Since I believe "Every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" I believe we know enough to build NOW.
Good Luck. Yours is the most likely to succeed.
Regards,
Richard

[Amit Nisenbaum]

Could it be that New Zealand is the next country to partner with PBP? Here is an article that hints to that - http://www.climatechangecorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=5202 . The author has a good grasp of the alternative automotive energy issues so I wonder if he is also aware of something we don’t know (“New Zealand and Israel have already pledged to put the framework into place for electric cars. Although plans for New Zealand are less clear”).

The rumors had it that China is going to be the next following Shai’s visit to China as part of the Israeli prime minister visit there a couple of weeks back. There seems to be many parallel country initiatives going on at PBP.

[Mr Joel HERZOG]

To M. Shai AGASSI

13rd March 2008

Dear M. Agassi,

Re: 60th anniversary of the State of Israel

All Jewish communities and organizations in Geneva joined hands to hold a joint festivity celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israel.

The organizing committee, presided by the undersigned, is editing a commemorative booklet presenting the realizations and main goals of the State of Israel in the field, of economics, science, culture and society to be published by mid April 2008.

The booklet edited with some 10’000 copies addresses itself to the Jewish and non Jewish circles.

The Committee would be very honored to receive an article from you on Israel at 60 in the Middle East to be incorporated into our booklet.

Thanking you in advance, we remain,

Yours Sincerely,

Joel Herzog
President of the Organising
Committee of the 60th Anniversary

Address to send message, or articles :
Joël HERZOG,NOGA S.A.,42, Rue du Rhône,
CH-1204 Geneva, Switzerland
E Mail : [email protected]
Fax : +41 22 817 36 96
Tel :+4122 817 36 88

[Amit Nisenbaum]

As related to my posting above I obviously meant that the rumors referred to a launch in Japan.