Israel to Get Electric Car Battery Swap Stations

Better Place offers one package that includes the cost of the car and three years of driving 25,000 kilometers per year for $46,000. The company says this price amounts to a 35 percent savings over buying and fueling a gas car in Israel over three years. Other packages include a cost of about $36,000 for the car, with monthly subscription fees ranging from $320 to $470 a month for 20,000 to 30,000 kilometers of driving per year, respectively. For both packages, the price includes the installation of a charging station at home.

via MIT Technology Review

Comments

[Fred]

I guess the question is what happen after the first 3 years? The gas price must be at least doubling the US price in Israel. For the same distance of driving, you pay around 1500 per year on gas. The point is that depreciation is the largest component of car ownership for the first 5 years not the energy consumption cost. Unless there is another government incentive, the business model does not work in most countries.