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Switchable Battery EVs Launched in Tokyo

Following the opening of the first EV demonstration center in Israel, electric vehicle solutions provider Better Place has kicked off a 90-day switchable-battery electric taxi service in Japan.

With the help of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry and Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo's largest taxi operator, Better Place launched three switchable-battery electric taxis in Tokyo, available on the first floor of the Roppongi Hills Complex.

The batteries of the EVs, manufactured by A123 Systems, can be switched at a dedicated center located in the city. The center, better than the one showcased a year ago in Yokohama, is only a little part of what Better Place hopes will be a wide range of services for EVs and their owners, including charge spots, in-car software, operations centers, cars and batteries.

"Tokyo has more taxis than London, Paris, and New York combined, with approximately 60,000 vehicles, representing a high mileage, high visibility segment that can serve as the catalyst for this technology to transfer to the mass market,"
Kiyotaka Fujii, President of Better Place Japan motivates the decision to start the program here.

"Since our initial announcement of this project, we've heard from cities around the world interested in converting their taxi fleets as a concrete way to fight CO2 emissions and urban pollution. Electric taxis are a pragmatic step forward for governments as well as a lucrative segment in the electrification of transport."


Better Place, Renault's partner for the future range of French EVs, will expand its operation in Israel, Japan and Denmark by 2012, the year when Renault's EVs will hit the market.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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