RAY LANE

 
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June 13, 2011 - 12:01 am ET Managing partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Chairman, Fisker Automotive

Managing partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Chairman, Fisker Automotive

Chosen because: Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers had invested in other green tech plays such as solar power and biofuels but hadn't found any appealing transportation companies, said Lane, 64. Until he saw the Fisker Karma luxury plug-in hybrid, that is. It was an electric vehicle that would appeal to more than just green buyers, he figured. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers invested what Lane calls "a lot by our standards" in Fisker Automotive in 2008. Lane chairs the company's board.

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers made a smaller investment in Think, a Norwegian producer of small city electric vehicles. That stake has since been sold back to Think. Lane says he isn't looking for more electric car companies to invest in -- for now. But he is eagerly awaiting his Fisker Karma. Several thousand of the pricey EVs will be in consumer hands by the end of 2011, Lane says. He will receive Serial No. 2.

Quote: "Reduce demand for oil by 5 to 10 percent, and you start to control pricing."

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