Better Place Inaugurates Electric Taxi Model in Amsterdam Airport

6 September 2012

“We’re grateful for the support of the European Commission, the Dutch and Danish governments, Schiphol, Renault, and all of our partners in making this project happen in less than 18 months. We’re determined to demonstrate to Europe that electric cars can drive any distance in any country and aren’t just limited to short-distance driving”: Said Shai Agassi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Better Place.

A joint effort

The project consortium, “Greening European Transportation Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles,” is the first-ever, decarbonization infrastructure project co-financed by the European Union’s TEN-T program. The Battery Switch Station was built in partnership with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and will initially serve 10 Renault Fluence Z.E. taxis operated by three leading Dutch taxi companies – Connexxion, Bios and TCA. The Schiphol station is exclusively dedicated for the use of the Renault Fluence Z.E. electric taxis at this time.

Better Place also announced that it will expand the Schiphol showcase to include a second Battery Switch Station in Amsterdam, which will increase the service area for the first group of electric taxis.

Taking up the challenge

The Schiphol-Amsterdam corridor is one of the most demanding routes in the world with more than 700,000 taxi trips originating from Schiphol each year. Applying battery switch technology to electric taxis allows them to operate virtually around the clock without the need to stop, plug in, and charge. The project showcases that with the right solution, high usage vehicles such as taxis can make the switch to electric cars.

On average, Dutch consumers drive around 15,000 kilometers each year, with a large segment of business users that drive around 30,000 kilometers on average, making The Netherlands one of the most attractive markets for electric kilometers in Europe.

Building on expertise

While this is just the beginning for Better Place Netherlands, the company is already proving that its model works today in its first markets – Israel and Denmark.

The company recently completed an historic “lap” around Israel by driving the Renault Fluence Z.E. 1,150 KM in 16 hours – without stopping to charge. Instead, the team leveraged the Better Place network of Battery Switch Stations around the country by switching the battery along the way.

In Denmark, a Better Place network of five Battery Switch Stations now connects Copenhagen to Aarhus, allowing Danish drivers to complete one of the most important routes in the country. Thirteen more Switch Stations will be completed by year’s end.

Interested in electric vehicles? Read more on www.stateofgreen.com

In both markets, drivers of more than 500 Renault Fluence Z.E. electric cars with switchable batteries have driven more than three million electric kilometres to date. In fact, Better Place has delivered more Renault Fluence Z.E.s in Israel year-to-date than in all of France, thanks to the Better Place network.

Better Place is backed by a world-class group of investors including HSBC and Israel Corp. that are fully dedicated to the company’s long-term success and view Better Place as a long-term, transformational investment in their portfolio. The company has raised more than $750 million of equity financing to date. Last week, Better Place announced its first-ever credit facility from a financial institution – a €40 million loan from the European Investment Bank.

Read the full story on www.betterplace.com

Source:www.betterplace.com