World Business Summit in Copenhagen (May 24, 2009) -- Better Place and the City of Copenhagen today signed an agreement to jointly develop a plan for how Copenhagen can accelerate the switch from carbon-based transportation systems to sustainable mobility models that rely on renewable energy powering zero-emission vehicles. The cooperation agreement calls for Better Place and the City of Copenhagen to work together in establishing the best conditions for the rapid deployment of electric car-charging infrastructure in the municipality of Copenhagen with the initial outcome resulting in a demonstration at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in December.

“As host city of the World Business Summit and COP15, it’s critical that we demonstrate our conviction and present a pathway for other cities to follow that puts environmental leadership at the heart of public policy,” said Klaus Bondam, Copenhagen Mayor for the Technical and Environmental Administration. “Our vision is for Copenhagen to be the world’s first carbon neutral capital by 2025. To realize that vision, we need private companies on board. The partnership agreement with Better Place is the first of its kind in the area of transportation.”

“Better Place is committed to making Denmark a global leader for adopting a model for sustainable mobility,” said Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO. “We welcome the opportunity to partner with the City to jointly develop a blueprint for cities around the world to replicate as we seek solutions to global climate change.”

Under the accord, Better Place and the City of Copenhagen have agreed to establish a co-operation team, which will initially focus on designing and implementing an electric vehicle (EV) pilot project in Copenhagen for demonstration at COP15. As part of the agreement, the City of Copenhagen will expedite the permitting process so that it will be possible for private operators to install a large number of charge spots throughout the City. The City also will designate an equal number of public parking spots for EV parking and will allow free parking for EVs on these spots during COP15.

Better Place and the City of Copenhagen also agree to discuss a model for the accelerated deployment of electric car-charging infrastructure in Copenhagen, which can serve as the blueprint for other Danish municipalities as well as cities around the world to follow. The model may include the following items:

• network mapping for charge spots and battery switch stations to optimize the value of the network to the driver without impacting the environment;
• new methods of planning and permitting for new construction and redevelopment of public buildings, public parking lots and other public places that incorporate EV infrastructure design;
• analysis of the regulatory environment for handling the entire process for design and construction of EV infrastructure;
• coordinated dialogue with petrol stations and other third parties in order to map potential suitable locations for battery switch stations; and
• a series of public service announcements and other educational material so that consumers understand the benefits of sustainable mobility models.

“We’re excited that the City of Copenhagen will be one of the first cities in Denmark for our network deployment,” said Jens Moberg, CEO, Better Place Denmark. “Working with our partners DONG Energy and The Renault-Nissan Alliance, we’re on target to enable consumer adoption of zero emission vehicles in Denmark in 2011, which will help the City to achieve its goal of being carbon neutral by 2025.”

About Better Place:

Better Place, the leading electric vehicle services provider, is accelerating the global transition to sustainable transportation. Better Place is building the infrastructure and intelligent network to deliver a range of services to drivers, enable widespread adoption of electric vehicles, and optimize energy use. The Better Place network addresses historical limitations to adoption by providing unlimited driving range in a convenient and accessible manner. The company works with all parts of the transportation ecosystem, including automakers, battery suppliers, energy companies, and the public sector, to create a compelling solution. Based in California and privately held, Better Place has operating companies in Israel, Denmark, and Australia. More information is available at http://www.betterplace.com.

Media Contact(s):

Julie Mullins
Better Place
Phone: +1 650 387 0486
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Christian Yssing
Mannov
Phone: +45 2715 7092
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

For more information City of Copenhagen:
Klaus Bondam via Director of Communications Eva Tolstrup Ziegler
Phone +45 26 30 14 25
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Director of Department Mikkel Aarø-Hansen
Phone +45 26 30 58 53
Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Read more about the Copenhagen climate action plan: http://www.kk.dk/climate