Better Place opens first Battery Switch Station in the Netherlands

By / 12 years ago / News / No Comments

Initially just for use by the fleet of 10 Renault Fluence Z.E. taxis, operated by Dutch private hire operators Connexion, Bios and TCA, the station allows depleted batteries to be swapped for fully charged ones within minutes. In turn, this means the taxis can work virtually around the clock, with no need to stop for hours at a time to recharge.

The station serves one of the busiest transport routes in the Netherlands, with over 700,000 taxi journeys per year originating at Schiphol Airport. Initially installed just for use by the taxis, a second battery swap station is planned for central Amsterdam to extend the trial’s service area.

Better Place already has a network of stations around Israel, where the company is based, and recently completed a lap around the country in a Fluence Z.E. stopping to swap batteries en route instead of charging. The 713-mile route was completed in 16 hours.

Denmark also has a network of stations, connecting Copenhagen to Aarhus, one of the country’s most used routes, with 13 more planned by the end of 2012.

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Alex Grant

Trained on Cardiff University’s renowned Postgraduate Diploma in Motor Magazine Journalism, Alex is an award-winning motoring journalist with ten years’ experience across B2B and consumer titles. A life-long car enthusiast with a fascination for new technology and future drivetrains, he joined Fleet World in April 2011, contributing across the magazine and website portfolio and editing the EV Fleet World Website.

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