Electric cars have been around for over 100 years, but Israel is the first nation to make a serious attempt at encouraging people to use them. A long-time frontrunner in the search for alternative-energy sources, Israel recently announced that it’s planning on implementing an electric car network in an attempt to reduce dependence on oil.

Israel’s new endeavor, which is set to be completed by 2011, will involve replacing gas stations with a grid of strategically located recharging stations. Cars will run on lithium-ion batteries, which will allow the vehicles to sustain a speed of up to 68 miles per hour and hold about 100 miles per charge. The car, created by Renault-Nissan, would be Israel’s first entirely electric automobile.

This innovation will not only be a break from Israel’s high fuel prices (nearly twice the cost per gallon as the U.S.), but it will also set a precedent for other countries to follow. If the plan works successfully, California-based company Project Better Place, in charge of creating and maintaining the charging locations, plans to expand its project to China and Europe.

But even with the tax incentives and promise for a healthier environment, are we ready to get on board in the U.S. for such a big change? The vehicle would travel much slower than many Americans are used to driving on the highway and would make nonstop trips between major metropolitan cities an issue. Instead of filling the tank, drivers would be required to stop about every 100 miles to either recharge their batteries (which could take up to three hours!) or trade them in for newly charged ones.

Developers are still not sure what these refills and trade-ins will cost, and while it would surely save money in Israel where gas prices are inflated, in America, it may not be as economically efficient. When consumers are not worrying about where to fill up, they will be paying a monthly fee to charge the batteries themselves.

This has been compared numerous times to a cell-phone plan, not only because of the battery pack, but because drivers would have to commit to paying a subsidized fee per car and a monthly fee based on estimated usage. This doesn’t seem like such a bad idea in Israel, where the average monthly commute is pretty easy to estimate given the size of the country, but how will Americans react to having to guess how far they’re going to travel each month?

The idea is that a driver will be able to plan ahead, but this could stir up some trouble when the unexpected strikes. Sure, drivers are not limited to sticking within the bounds of their plans (that’s what recharge stations are for, after all), but their options are limited when problems arise. What happens if a battery runs out on the road? If a tank of gas runs out, the answer is simple: Walk to the nearest gas station, purchase a gallon and kick yourself for not being prepared. An electric-car owner might find himself in more of a pickle, considering batteries weigh over 400 pounds and require a small crane to be lifted.

Aside from trying to avoid catastrophe, drivers might also wonder what happens if they don’t use all their allotted miles. Will there be rollover miles? Will insurance have any effect on plan rates? Will a driver be able to change his plan? With as many variables to consider as there are cell-phone plans to contemplate, drivers might find themselves longing for the good old days of just gassing up. 

Israel has been criticized for not thoroughly testing its plan before the government agreed to put 100,000 new cars on the road in the next three years. Though the nation has always been ahead of the game when it comes to technology, some critics feel the government endorsed this major project without taking the proper time to consider all the repercussions. For instance, by making electric vehicles more affordable, the rate at which consumers purchase new cars will be expected to increase, leaving Israel with the problem of disposing of old cars and supporting new ones, potentially adding to the already-congested roads.

However, Israel’s President Shimon Peres believes the benefits will outweigh the risks. Peres, who has continually defended the initiative, said: “Today is a new age with new dangers and the greatest danger is that of oil. It is the greatest polluter of our age and oil is the greatest financier of terror.”

The chairman of Israel Corp. and project financier Idan Ofer also supports the plan, developed by Israeli-American entrepreneur Shai Agassi. Ofer and Agassi have suggested that Israel be used as the test run for larger countries like China and India, where both pollution and oil dependency are more pressing problems. If the project is a hit in Israel, as many are hoping it will be, electric cars could become the next big planet-saver all over the world.

What do you think? Let us know on our discussion board.

Caitlin Wilson is the editorial intern for JVibe and is a junior at Emerson College in Boston.