The first interchangeable battery-powered taxis have been on the roads of Tokyo since the 28th April 2010. The three specially converted Nissan Dualis crossover vehicles are available to the public for 90 days at the taxi stand reserved for "green" vehicles, situated on the first floor of the Roppongi Hills complex.
For Kiyotaka Fujii, President of Better Place Japan "we have more taxis in Tokyo than in London, Paris and New York combined, that’s about 60,000 vehicles. They cover thousands of kilometres, which make this a very visible sector, which can serve as a catalyst to spread this technology among the general public ".
This project, conceived by Better Place, is to a large extent financed by the Japanese government, which was convinced during a technological demonstration in the city of Yokohama last year.
An efficient alternative to electric car charging
This Japanese experiment with vehicles that are in almost constant use is the first life-sized test for Shai Agassi’s company, Better Place. It will verify the length, durability and robustness of the battery switch process, thereby ensuring that the stations and their technology are reliable.
This is an essential stage for Better Place, which is planning the commercial launch of this solution at the end of 2010 in Israel and Denmark.
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