This is what it’s really like to use a Better Place swap station
By Will Dron on February 17, 2012 2:34 PM
We’ve covered electric vehicle battery swapping on TheChargingPoint.com a number of times. We think it’s a great idea – instead of waiting for a recharge you simply take out a flat battery and stick a new one in. It takes a mere three minutes.
However, there are hurdles to overcome: the cost of building the swap station network for one; then there’s getting all electric vehicle makers to agree on a single standardised battery installation mechanism… no easy task.
But watching the process of driving in, switching battery and driving out with 100% charge never fails to impress, as one blogger demonstrates with his video below. If you’ve ever wondered what the real-world experience of using a Better Place battery switch station is like, without marketing polish, this is the video to watch.
The vehicle is a Renault Fluence ZE, by the way, which will be available in the UK this year, only without the battery swapping facility.
Read blogger Brian of London’s full report on the experience here.