Better Place for Japan

Blog Entry 15
Stephanie Adams
December 9, 2008

Subaru and other Japanese carmakers are teaming up with Better Place a company focused on building an electric car network. Together they will work on a project called The Ministry of Environment Electric Vehicle. The Japanese Ministry of Environment would like Better Place to help them create a battery exchange for the electric vehicles. Japan would like to become a world leader in creating electric vehicles and serve as a model for other countries by developing electronic vehicle infrastructure in Osaka, Kanagawa, Hyogo and Aichi. The project is scheduled to start just around the corner in January 2009. Combining the California based company Better Place plan to create sustainable transportation with the Japan, one of the largest auto manufacturers is a great way to jump start a year focused on creating oil and energy independence. Japan is not the only country to work with Better Place, Australia, Denmark, Israel and the U.S. have also combined with the company to start their own electric vehicle infrastructure.

Kiyotaka Fujii who previously ran Louis Vuitton Japan and SAP Japan will be leading Better Place of Japan. CEO of Better Place, Shai Agassi, has plenty of confidence that Fujii is fit for the job due the 300% expansion of SAP while he was the CEO. Fujii is excited to be part of Japan’s movement towards energy dependency and working towards lowering Japan’s carbon footprint. If successful, Japan may become the leading sources for electric vehicles and a model for the rest of the world.