Better Place Battery Switch Stations Reach San Francisco

Somewhat less visible than its rivals on the electric vehicle and infrastructure market, EV services provider Better Place announced today the beginning of a program which will see electric taxis with switchable batteries being deployed in the San Francisco Bay area.

With the help of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Better Place will deploy four battery switch stations in the San Francisco to San Jose corridor for the fleet of electric taxis to be launched in the area.

“Today marks a significant milestone in our march towards accelerating the mass adoption of electric cars in the Bay Area. This program will enable us to reach a broad audience and demonstrate a solution that offers drivers a more convenient option than today’s gasoline cars,” said Jason Wolf, VP of North America for Better Place.

This is the second battery switch station location deployed by Better Place after the one in Tokyo, Japan, was launched back in April. Better Place's approach to the EV recharging process is different than the official market trend, as the company prefers not to recharge, but replace the batteries altogether.

The entire process takes about a minute, being much faster than conventional recharging. Better Place's swapping system allows for the automatic removal of the battery from the underside of the vehicle.

“The battery switch model is gaining momentum globally. Our Tokyo EV taxi program has proven to be an example to major metropolitan areas around the world, and we are pleased that the MTC recognized this and the Bay Area is taking a leadership position in the U.S.”