The European Investment Bank announced Tuesday that it was providing electric car networks company Better Place with a €40 million loan, continuing the institution’s support for innovation and sustainable transportation. Approximately €30 million of the proceeds will be used to finalize network deployments throughout and fund operators in Denmark, with the … [continued]
As emerging clean technology companies reach stages of growth that require enormous amounts of deployment capital, investment figures for 2011 reflect that market dynamic.
Last year, global corporate and venture capital investments in cleantech grew 13% over 2010, reaching almost $9 billion, according to preliminary figures released from the Cleantech Group. Most of those investments are going to companies that have already picked up one or more rounds of funding, with 85% of dollars flowing into Series B rounds or later.
The most stunning increase in activity last year was in mergers and acquisitions, which grew by 154% in 2011. Because it’s often more attractive for cleantech companies to merge with a mature corporate parent rather than go public, the amount of exits in M&A have shot up dramatically. […]
“A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move towards higher levels.”- Albert Einstein
Our nation’s economic success has always been based on our technological superiority coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit: In the 1940’s, it was our superior infrastructure and distribution capabilities. In the 60’s and 70’s, we had an explosion of scientific revolutions through the “space race.” And in the late 80’s and 90’s, the technological revolution turned into the internet revolution.
BYD Co Ltd is on schedule to enter the growing EV market with the E6 crossover in Q2 of 2012. E6 represents the big battery solution to EV range. Other solutions…
A look at the evolution of electric vehicles and the first Better Place battery-swapping launch in the world, in Israel this August.
Project Better Place is about developing an electric vehicle battery swapping system that can enable people to literally replace their battery packs in exchange for another one which was charged while it was at the Better Place swapping station.
Even though automotive executives initially deemed Better Place’s all-electric solution as “nothing more than a thought experiment,” Shai Agassi started by redesigning the all-electric vehicle or EV to prove them wrong and make it as good as any gasoline car today. This was done by developing a convenient system (because it is unacceptable to drive your car for an hour and charge for eight) that’s more affordable (not a forty thousand dollar sedan that would be impossible to finance today). This system uses technology that is feasible with current technology and economics. It is readily available to be scaled to mass in order for 99% of the population to drive it.
Tony Fadell, who was formerly senior vice president of Apple’s iPod division, is the latest Silicon Valley IT expert to make a shift to clean tech. A leading executive behind the iPod and iPhone, Fadell stepped down from his senior vice president role in November 2008 but stayed on with … [continued]
Worldwide, investors put $1.9 billion into clean tech startups in the first three months of 2010. That is an 83% increase from the same quarter last year and a 29% increase from the fourth quarter of 2009. Additionally, the number of deals hit a record high. This is what a … [continued]
The future prospects of companies involved in electric vehicles continue to be greatly influenced by the support (or lack thereof) from the federal government. This week the government handed out another $300 million in funding for alternative fuel programs to Clean Cities initiatives around the country. Of the 25 Clean … [continued]
