Yesterday, after our fantastic hike and tour of Masada, we departed for our next stop of the day - the Ein Gedi waterfalls. Located west of the Dead Sea, close to Masada and the caves of Qumran, Ein Gedi contains a natural oasis, cave, and spring system - as well as a series of waterfalls and pools cascading from the high mountains above. It is a spectacular place - especially when you consider the surrounding desert conditions. Everyone who passes through the region inevitably stops at Ein Gedi - even if only just for a moment.
From the bus we hiked to the upper waterfall and pool. After our earlier hike at Masada, this one was pretty much a literal "walk in the park". That being said, it was still pretty hot, so some folks definitely took this as an opportunity to gripe. Once everyone was sitting in the cool water all the cares floated away. As we walked back down the trail to the parking lot, our guide mentioned the cultural and religious significance of the site. Apparently, Ein Gedi is mentioned several times in biblical writings. For example, it is featured prominently in the Song of Songs and also in Samuel - where David hides from Saul in the caves of Ein Gedi.
After departing the waterfalls, we traveled further up the coast to Mineral Beach - a small resort and spa along the shores of the Dead Sea. Heading straight to the beach, we jumped into the water. Since the water has such a high concentration of salt, you float right to the top. It's a very strange sensation, to say the least. The water also has a very smooth feel to it - almost like an oil - but not quite. Apparently, you can stay in the water for hours and hours, without ever getting wrinkled skin. Up on the beach was a small area to apply mud - which we each quickly caked all over ourselves. So much fun!
From the beach area, we all casually moved up to the on-site sulfur hot springs. Topping out at about 110 degrees Fahrenheit, this pool was a welcome third natural treatment after the waters of the Dead Sea and the full body mud applications. To be sure, it was absurdly hot outside, but believe it or not, these pools felt fantastic. Altogether, this was a great way to spend our final afternoon of the trip together. Tonight we are in Tel Aviv and tomorrow everyone says goodbye for the final time before going our separate ways. Without a doubt, it has been a good run this summer, but it had to end sooner or later. C'est la vie!
As I'd mentioned previously (see here), last Tuesday the Smith team had the opportunity to visit Better Place, Israel's innovative electric car company. We departed Haifa around 9am for the drive to their facility in Tel Aviv. Located not far from the freeway (and ocean), Better Place was already humming from the moment we arrived - as tour groups passed through and saw, heard, and drove the Better Place solution.
"Brad investigating Better Place's futuristic showroom" Photo by Kristin Thompson
As we'd arrived early, we helped ourselves to coffee and tea, while we waited for the tour to start. A little after 11am, the tour began. First we had a brief overview of the Better Place facility from our guide. Next, we were directed into an amphitheater to hear the spiel from a virtual "Shai Agassi". To say that this was a flawless presentation - delivered in a futuristic and otherworldly location - would be an understatement. At the end, the bottom of the stage rotated and the model car was displayed for us to see. Really impressive!
"Virtual Shai Agassi talks to us about the Better Place vision" Photo by Kristin Thompson
If that wasn't enough, third we were then directed outside to a test track so that each of us could experience the feel of driving a truly 100% electric car - as well as see examples of the charging stations. Among our group, Asher Epstein was able to test drive the single Tesla Roadster on site, while the rest of us were driving Renault's. Though jealous of Asher, I was still lucky enough to be the first in my group to get behind the wheel!
"Better Place's electric cars getting recharged" Photo by Kristin Thompson
To be honest, it wasn't what totally what I expected - though I don't mean this in a bad way. When I turned the car on for the first time, there wasn't the "normal" experience one expects when a car motor fires up. Instead it was completely silent. Additionally, as I drove out onto the track and increased speed - the car had "perfect" acceleration - as it had no gear box and hence no gears to shift between. All in all it was a very nice drive.
"The team talks with Mike Granoff overlooking the test track" Photo by Kristin Thompson
After completing our test drives, we then were directed into a meeting with Mike Granoff (a friend of Asher) and the Head of Oil Independence Policies at Better Place. Mike was gracious enough to offer his time to discuss the Better Place model and field all of our questions regarding the company, the technology, and the business model. After a lively discussion (and one last look at the Tesla Roadster) we wrapped up our visit with a demonstration of the proprietary battery changing system that forms the core of the Better Place model.
"A full demonstration of the Better Place battery exchange system" Photo by Kristin Thompson
Earlier today, the Smith team had the opportunity to visit one of the most interesting companies currently operating in Israel today, Better Place. Launched in 2007 by Shai Agassi, (who we had seen speak earlier this summer at the Technion) the one time future CEO of SAP AG, Better Place has already raised over $700 million dollars in venture backing. The goal of Better Place is to get the world off of oil - focusing on creating an innovative model for the car industry and a new generation of electric cars - whereby the battery is removed from the cost of the car. An idea which has the potential to be a real game changer.
Better Place has already entered into agreements with Nissan-Renault and China's Cherry Automobile to produce full lines of vehicles starting in 2011. Israel and Denmark are the initial target markets - with a planned roll-out in Australia shortly thereafter. In the next day or two, I'll provide some additional debrief and background on our visit (and a full recap of our test drives on their car track), as well as our other company visits. In the meantime here's a video that gives a great overview of the firm and its mission.
The views expressed on this site are those of Daniel Branscome, hereafter referred to as "the owner", and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Maryland, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, or the Technion. All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this blog or found by following any link on this blog. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.
