Better Place

Better Place is an initiative aimed at bringing about an increase in the global use of electrical cars.
From a sustainability viewpoint I believe this to be a positive step as it opens up the potential for more of our transport to be powered by renewable energy sources and also decreases society's dependence on Petrol.
There is a flaw to this scheme though, which lies in the batteries they intend to use.
Lithium ion batteries have been selected as the most appropriate battery for this purpose as a result of their high energy density and cycle life. The key material present in these batteries, however - Lithium - is far from sustainable. Just as peak oil looms ahead so does peak Lithium - Mitsubishi estimate that the demand for Lithium will overtake availability within 10 years unless more sources are found. ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7707847.stm )
But simple availability is not the only thing that will limit the accessibility of Lithium. 50% of the world's known Lithium store resides in Bolivia, a country whose tight political control over the resource is greatly limiting its ability to be processed and made globally available.
While electric vehicles are indeed necessary to overcome the oil crisis, becoming just as dependent on Lithium would be very unwise. Exploring other battery technologies where more widely available materials are utilised, such as the Zinc Air battery may make this a more sustainably viable initiative.

Thanks ZA