At this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit., one of the buzz stories is not about an automobile model.
Radio Flyer car, San Jose, CA, 2008
Palo Alto company Better Place is creating a new approach to powering the electric car by stepping outside the traditional automobile business model.
Better Place positions the electric car battery as an element of infrastructure rather than as part the car itself. This move diffuses $8K-$9K of financial impact borne by the consumer in the traditional business model where the battery is part of the upfront cost of the car.
It’s a great example of tackling a tough problem–maybe in this case, “”how can we build a better battery”–by reframing it and creating an even better problem statement: “How can we make electric cars accessible to and functional for more people.”
Related Posts:
Shah Agassi’s Better Place
Rage With The Machine
Tags: Better Place, car, Detroit, electric car, infrastructure, North American International Auto Show, palo alto, problem solving, problem statement, Radio Flyer
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