One of our favorite companies is at it again! Better Place, the Palo Alto-based company focused on developing ‘electric highway networks,’ will now be partnering with Hawaii to make mass adoption of electric vehicles powered by renewable energy a reality in the state by 2012. Hawaii becomes the fifth market in the world (along with Israel, Denmark, Australia and the San Francisco Bay Area) to recognize that, before the electric vehicle can be a viable alternative to dirty technologies, we need a green infrastructure that can support its use.

Also this week, Better Place announced an agreement with the Japanese government to develop a pilot project there in collaboration with Japanese automakers.

As Tom Friedman suggests in his latest NY Times column, the fact that we’re seeing this sort of innovation  in places other than Detroit only proves that “whatever can be done, will be done. The only question is will it be done by you or to you. Just don’t think it won’t be done.”

Check out our previous posts on Better Place:

Bay Area Becomes ‘Better Place’ (Nov 25, 2008)

Making The Future A ‘Better Place’ (Oct 24, 2008)

for more info, visit Better Place’s site.