A little while ago, we brought you the story of a newfound idea that could very well change the way the electric vehicle paradigm works. In fact, it actually could make electric cars relatively practical.
Better Place is the joint known for erecting an experimental battery swap station in Japan. Well, things must have went pretty well since they have decided to build their very first REAL station in Israel. Not sure of what a battery swap is? Follow me.
A battery swap is exactly what it sounds like it is. Given that most electric vehicles are good for approximately 100 miles, Better place offers a spot to "refuel" by new standards. Literally the battery is replaced with a new one. No charging or any petty worries like that anymore. But don't get too excited because someone will need some SERIOUS coin to pony up the dough required to get the infrastructure set up across the country.
Better Place, the Israeli/Californian EV infrastructure start-up, has just opened its first battery swap station in Israel. (An experimental facility currently operates in Japan, serving a fleet of electric taxis.) The Better Place facility is one of 40 such stations the company plans to deploy throughout the country.
The battery-swap process is fully automated, kind of like a robotic car wash. It takes five minutes to get a fresh battery that's good for another 100 miles—a much quicker turnaround than recharging...
[Source: Consumer Reports]
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