Shai Agassi wants to put you behind the wheel of an electric car -- but he doesn't want you to sacrifice convenience (or cash) to do it.
Why you should listen
When horrific climate-change scenarios elicit little but endless chatter from governments and entrenched special interests, the difference between talk and action represent an embarrassing gulf. Meet Shai Agassi, who has stepped fearlessly into that gap. His approach to solving the puzzle of electric automobiles could spark nothing short of an automotive revolution.
Agassi stunned the software industry in 2007 by resigning from SAP to focus on his vision for breaking the world's fossil-fuel habit, a cause he had championed since his fuse was lit at a Young Global Leaders conference in 2005. Through his enthusiastic persistence, Agassi's startup Better Place has signed up some impressive partners -- including Nissan-Renault and the countries of Israel and Denmark.
What others say
Shai Agassi has only one car, no charging stations, and not a single customer—yet everyone who meets him already believes he can see the future.
Shai Agassi’s TED Talk
More news and ideas from Shai Agassi
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The week in comments
April 19, 2009
We’re on to our second week of picking our favorite comments from the pile, and it already seems to be getting harder. Your voices are many, and your quips are witty. Here are the long deliberated choices: On Shai Agassi’s TEDTalk: A bold plan for mass adoption of electric cars: Brilliant. Persuasive. Visionary. I’m not […]
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From software exec to electric car revolutionary: Exclusive interview with Shai Agassi
April 13, 2009
Shai Agassi has a record of accomplishing huge tasks in record time — from completing his college degree by 18 to founding several successful software companies before 30. In recent years, he has shifted his intense focus to the global problem of climate change. He discusses his blow-by-blow plan to propagate the electric car in […]
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A bold plan for mass adoption of electric cars: Shai Agassi on TED.com
April 13, 2009
Forget about the hybrid auto — Shai Agassi says it’s electric cars or bust if we want to impact emissions. His company, Better Place, has a radical plan to take entire countries oil-free by 2020. (Recorded at TED2009, February 2009, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 18:06.) Watch Shai Agassi’s talk from TED2009 on TED.com, where […]
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