That long-awaited event happened last week, as the company delivered 100 Renault Fluence EVs to Israeli customers and launched their network.

Better Place is in many ways a visionary company. Founder Shai Agassi, a former SAP executive, was talking about EVs back when EVs weren’t cool. The company’s battery-swapping stations could sidestep the issue of long charging times, and its concept of charging customers based on mileage (like a cell phone contract) could win over potential EV drivers who balk at the high purchase prices. So it’s exciting to see the company putting some rubber on the road.

That long-awaited event happened last week, as the company delivered 100 Renault Fluence EVs to Israeli customers and launched their network. It already has a battery-swapping station in service in Japan (serving a fleet of taxis), and plans for a network in Denmark are well advanced.

“The first wave of electric cars is the ultimate proof that the change is here,” said CEO Moshe Kaplinsky.

Image: Better Place