Better Place opens first showroom

The electric-car infrastructure company Better Place unveiled its first showroom in Israel, in preparation for the sale of electric cars to retail customers. Located at the Glilot Junction north of Tel Aviv, models of the Renault Fluence ZE, outfitted with Better Place's battery and electric engine instead of a conventional fuel tank and internal combustion engine will be displayed. While the company claims purchasing an electrical car is worthwhile economically, someone who drives more than 20,000 kilometers a year with such a car will save NIS 113 a month officials said. Companies with car fleets are the main market for the electric car; these firms will pay a lower rate than private consumers. Better Place is offering two models of the Renault Fluence: the more basic Expression, which costs NIS 123,000, and the upgraded Dynamic, which costs NIS 130,000.