Japan

Better Place launches switchable-battery electric taxi project in Tokyo

The Tokyo Electric Taxi Project marks another important technological milestone in the development of the Better Place EV network and demonstrates that battery switch technology provides the optimum solution for transitioning taxi fleets around the world to electric vehicles.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry commissioned Better Place to conduct a demonstration of the company’s battery switch technology, in partnership with Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo’s largest taxi operator, in a real-world application with taxis that will be in service nearly around-the-clock for a 90-day period.

The battery switch technology demonstrated in the Tokyo Electric Taxi Project allows taxi drivers to exchange a depleted battery with a fully charged one in less time then it takes to fill up at an LPG station. This enables the drivers to return to service with minimal downtime and makes electric taxis a viable option for taxi operators, which in turn benefits urban communities by removing a significant portion of harmful tailpipe emissions.

While taxis represent a mere two percent of all passenger vehicles in Tokyo, they emit about 20 percent of all carbon dioxide (CO2) from vehicles, due to their high-mileage use. In Tokyo alone, there are approximately 60,000 taxis, more than in New York, Paris, and London combined.

This demonstration follows the test of Better Place’s managed EV charging network in Denmark during the beginning of 2010 and precedes the next step in development, a test of all the components of the Better Place EV network in Israel in late 2010.

The outcome of this pilot program for electric taxis will point to opportunities in other urban centers. Moreover, success in the heavy-use taxi segment will help ensure efficient technology transfer to the mass market, where daily mileage is far less on average.

If you are in or plan to visit Tokyo, you can find the switchable-battery electric taxis (operated by Nihon Kotsu) at the taxi line reserved for environmentally friendly vehicles at the Roppongi Hills Complex. If you can’t make it in person, check out the videos below.