Electric cars are the only kind that anyone will be able to afford after we run the eff out of oil, but charging them is a pain. Better Place has a Better Idea™ — when your batteries run low, pull into one of their stations and wait a mere three minutes while a robot swaps out the battery in your car.

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The company claims that it can cover the whole of Israel, the first country in which it will launch, with just 40 stations. The car itself, a modified Renault Fluence Z.E., costs only $800 more than the bestselling car in Israel, the Mazda3.

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