Hawaii soon to be the first state with electric car stations
You might think the gas crisis has eased since gas is now down below $2 per gallon in almost all states. But while the national average gasoline prices have dropped to just $1.825, and are below $1.50 in several locales, Hawaiian drivers are still paying close to $3 per gallon to fuel up. The state, which imports foreign oil for 90% of its energy needs, has good reason to look for alternative solutions. So perhaps it's no surprise that the state has announced that by 2011, the first electric car recharging stations will open in Hawaii, and a large scale network of up to 100,000 charge spots will be open in the state by early 2012.
The state won't be spending any money to build these stations either -- Better Place, a California-based company, will build the stations and provide recharged batteries for electric cars. Better Place aims to have a zero carbon footprint, and will purchase renewable energy for its charging stations from Hawaiian Electric Co. The company plans to recharge its batteries at night with power from Hawaii's wind farms, much of which currently goes unused due to the state's low nighttime energy needs.
