Better Place today unveiled the prototype of its automated battery switch technology in Yokohama, Japan. The system will speed up battery replacement to extend the electric car's driving range. The system is a key component of Better Place's business plan for the electric car and battery recharging sites.
Japan's Ministry of the Environment invited the demonstration in Yokohama. The demonstration included replacement of the battery in the prototype electric car, which Better Place built itself in the US using a standard Nissan chassis. Better Place also demonstrated a Subaru electric car with a fixed battery at a recharging station.
The automated battery replacement takes only a few minutes. Better Place says that it can quickly and safely disconnect the empty battery, remove it from the car, and replace it with a fully-charged battery without the driver needing to leave the car during the entire process.
The system has two robotic conveyer belts connected to an automated conveyer for the car. One conveyer belt holds the charged battery that goes into the car, while the second conveyer belt removes the empty battery and takes to a storage place for recharging for use in another car.
Better Place Israel general manager Moshe Kaplinsky said, "This is a great achievement for Better Place and for Israel. The technology, which was developed in Israel, was presented in the heart of Japan's automobile industry. The development and demonstration of the battery replacement technology brings us significantly closer to completing the company's solution for developing a full recharging infrastructure for electric cars."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 13, 2009
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