UCB study sees bright future for pay-per-mile electric vehicles
July 13th, 2009
If consumers don’t have to buy their own batteries, a new UC Berkeley study predicts, electric car sales could reach 86 percent of U.S. light vehicle sales in 2030. Consumers would still purchase the vehicles, but not the batteries. Instead, like cell phone plans, consumers would subscribe to pay-per-mile servies from companies like Better Place, which would own the batteries, offer charging stations and swap out batteries as needed to extend the driving range.
The study is to be release today, according to Reuters.
Update You can read the study from UC Berkeley’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology here.
InBerkeley on Twitter
InBerkeley on Facebook
I saw that Reuters report as well. Looks interesting. But it’s an economic analysis of on a very narrow premise: if the world moves to a Better Place-like model, then electric vehicle sales could reach 86 per cent.
I think Better Place has a fascinating idea, but it’s hard to see that one form taking over the whole market.