Solar Power Your Drive

With gas prices on the rise again and concerns about global climate change that do not abate, the good news is that you’ll soon be able to solar power your drive.

Plug-in electric hybrid vehicles are being developed all over the world, and will even be more widely available in the United States in the next 12-18 months.  In order to facilitate the transition, and to make ownership and operation as easy as possible, regions are working hard to build the infrastructure required for a transition to 100% electric drive.

Better Place is one of the organizations that is leading the way.  Among other things, they have developed a battery switching station at which you can drop off a depleted battery and exchange it for a fully-charged one.  Instead of filling up at the gas station, just drive your electric vehicle up and get a recharged battery.  You’re on your way again, just as quickly (just over a minute for the entire automated process)

One is already operational in Yokohama, Japan:

Recharging a plug-in vehicle

According to the New York Times, Green Inc. blog:

One hundred of the stations — which cost around $500,000 apiece — will be rolled out in Israel by 2011, with additional stations slated for Denmark and later, Australia, California, Hawaii and Ontario.

This is truly great news!  Better Place hopes that “traditional” gas stations will be swapped out as fast as a battery that needs recharging, for these renewable-energy powered battery stations.  Using solar power to provide the electricity required for charging the batteries, can result in a zero-emissions commute.

If you are driving less than 100 miles, you can plug in your car to recharge in the parking garage when you’re at work, or leave your vehicle to recharge at a solar-powered park and ride facility.  PEHV batteries can fully recharge in about 6-8 hours.

I cannot wait to solar power my own drive!