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Denmark lands Europe's first Better Place EV battery swapping station
Better Place continued on its quest of global EV-battery-switching domination, Tuesday, bringing its special drop-and-swap charging solution to the fine folks of Gladsaxe, Denmark. An automated robot arm ceremoniously traded out the battery in a Renault Fluence Z.E., marking the beginning of a nine-month roll out across the country. The aptly titled Battery Switch station is the first of its kind in Europe and the first of 20 to be installed in Denmark. It was a monumental occasion, to be sure, one that could have only benefited from a performance of Michael Jackson's Heal the World as sung by Danish humanoid (and ladies' man) Geminoid-DK. Full PR after the break. [Thanks, Tesoo]
Israel gets its first EV battery swap station, makes charging stations obsolete
Don't get us wrong, we think electric vehicles are totally rad and all, but there's still the whole recharging thing that makes us a little wary. That's why we're stoked to hear that Better Place's first battery swap station for EVs (and not just special Japanese cabbies) has officially opened its doors in Israel... for owners of the Renault Fluence Z.E. All it takes is an RFID card to enter the carwash-esque structure, and robots from below swap out your empty battery for a fully charged alternative while you occupy yourself for three minutes. No word on how much it'll cost for the opportunity, but we've got an inkling it won't be cheap. Fortunately, we've got apps and "get you home" guarantees for that additional peace of mind, but we do hope the concept eventually makes its way over to our shores. Of course, we're also still waiting for eternal battery life in all of our electronics, but until that day comes invisible robots changing batteries for us will suffice.
Better Place swappable EV batteries priced, Renault is definitely onboard
It's going to be a little while before you're able to recharge your battery-electric EV as quickly as you can refuel your gasoline-powered machine. Until then there's Better Place, offering a suite of options including traditional recharging and fast battery-swapping. The idea is you don't buy a car with a battery you buy a car then lease the battery, and now we're getting an idea of what that lease is going to cost. It's launching first in Denmark with the Renault Fluence Z.E., a €27,496 ($38,500) car. If you're okay with driving less than 20,000km per year you can get by with monthly battery fees between €199 and €249 ($278 to $348), which includes recharging at Better Place locations or five-minute battery swaps if you're in a hurry. For €399 monthly ($558) you get unlimited mileage, but all plans get stuck with a €1,341 ($1,874) up-front fee to install a home charging station -- a bit steep compared to Ford's $1,500 option but not bad overall. Renault is also announcing Better Place support for its Twizy, which is featured in a video below. It's a tiny little thing that will cost just €6,900 ($9,640) and is due to ship this year. That's astonishingly cheap for an EV but, of course it comes without a battery pack, so you'll need to be leasing one. However, we're told there'll be a 7,500km lease option for just €45 ($63) per month. It also won't be coming to the States, planned only for a European launch, a land of smaller roads that'll be better suited to this flea-sized creation. And now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be sending our poor currency-converting intern on break. Poor gal really needs a coffee.
