The Billion-Dollar Crash of Better Place

The Energy Gang

Wood Mackenzie

Alternative Energy, Tech News, 958784, Environment, Technology, Renewable Energy, Energy, Business, Sustainability, Wind Energy, Climate Change, Cleantech, News, Solar Energy, Innovation, News Commentary

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 July 2018

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dozens of companies across solar, batteries and biofuels have imploded over the years. But it's hard to match the spectacular implosion of Better Place five years ago.

Better Place rose to fame in 2007, pulling in nearly $1 billion of venture capital by promising to put millions of cheap electric cars and battery switching stations on roads around the world. It fell nearly as quickly into bankruptcy after a series of poor decisions, market twists and bitter internal disputes.

A new book on the company's history, Totaled: The Billion-Dollar Crash of the Startup that Took on Big Auto, Big Oil and the World, uncovers lots of engrossing details on Better Place's quixotic mission to revolutionize electric vehicles.

On this week's Energy Gang podcast, we're talking to author Brian Blum about the Israeli EV company's rise and demise. "When you're an entrepreneur of any size, being able to change and to iterate is going to make your company a success. And Better Place really didn't do that," said Blum.

Blum will also talk about his personal experience with Better Place's car made in collaboration with Renault.

Later in the show, what does Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick mean for environmental and energy law? We’ll look at the record of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

The Energy Gang is brought to you by Mission Solar Energy, a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas. Mission Solar's high-performance solar panels have the highest testing ratings than any North American manufacturer in the market. Learn more about Mission's high-efficiency modules.

Transcript

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0:00.0	So Better Place picks up nearly a billion dollars in venture funding becomes one of the biggest startups of all time
0:06.8	but puts less than 2,000 cars on the road and you were one of those owners Brian
0:11.6	I was indeed one of the 1,000 owners in Israel, not even 2,000, 1,000.
0:17.0	Damn, it was as low as 1,000.
0:19.0	Actually, there are hundreds of cars still on the road.
0:22.0	People who refused to take Renault's offer
0:24.8	again we'll tell you about it what happened later on but refused to take the
0:29.1	offer and the cars are still out there. Coming up we talk with with Brian Blum, author of Total, a book about the rise and fall of the
0:35.8	EV-meg-a-start-up better place.
0:38.2	First though, a quick word about our sponsor Mission Solar Energy.
0:41.5	Mission Solar is a solar module manufacturer based in San Antonio, Texas.
0:45.0	It operates a 200 megawatt facility right here in the U.S.
0:49.0	Through state-of-the-art engineering and outstanding quality,
0:52.0	Mission Solar's modules offer long-term reliability
0:55.4	exceeding international standards by three times. Mission's high-performance solar panels have
1:00.4	the highest PTC ratings than any North American manufacturer in the market.
1:05.0	To find out more, go to Mission Solar.com.
1:10.0	Products. From Green Tech Media, this is the Energy Gang.
1:15.8	Debates and discussions on energy, clean tech and the environment.
1:18.8	I'm Stephen Lacy.
1:19.6	Welcome. The electric vehicle revolution requires the bravery of Churchill, the vision of JFK and the determination of Reagan.
1:33.7	That's how former Better Play CEO Shaya Gossi
	...

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