Better Place is poised to unveil its system of battery switch stations
in Israel and Denmark by 2011. These stations allow drivers of Better
Place-outfitted vehicles to swap out batteries as charges run low. As
the first phase of this roll-out occurs, the California-based company
is also looking to new markets like Tokyo. Better Place worked with
A123 Systems and taxi company Nihon Kotsu to develop a battery-electric
taxi for upcoming tests. Last week, this battery-powered vehicle hit
the streets of Tokyo for a 90-day test run of Better Place’s battery
switch system.
This short-term test run was made possible by
the contribution of lightweight batteries by A123 Systems that can be
swapped out at battery switch systems. Better Place is using a Nissan
SUV body with a converted drive system and body design to increase
driving range. The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is
using public funds to install the battery switch station and help Nihon
Kotsu during the test. The taxi operator will use three Better Place
vehicles during the 90-day period to test out the practicalities of the
battery switch process.
At the announcement of this testing
process, Better Place and Nihon Kotsu pointed out the symmetry of their
two products. Better Place vehicles will be best used in compact urban
environments where high densities of battery stations will allow for
easier switches. The company notes that its charging stations can
recharge a lithium-ion battery to 80% capacity in five minutes, thus
allowing future users to pick up new batteries throughout the day.
While Better Place recognizes the initial costs of this system, they
also point out that higher volumes of participation will lead to lower
costs as well as lower emissions.
Nihon Kotsu cited its
60,000-vehicle fleet as a compelling reason to move away from gasoline
and toward electrical power. Taxi drivers in a Better Place
infrastructure would be able to pull into battery switch stations,
allow the station to replace their batteries and proceed to their next
stops. Nihon Kotsu’s three Better Place prototypes will be stationed at
the Roppongi hills Complex, which is typical of the bustling taxi
stations throughout Tokyo. If Better Place’s Tokyo experiment works
well, we can anticipate one of the world’s largest cities moving toward
battery-powered taxis in the near future.
