Better Place is taking another step forward in Europe by bringing its electric car network solution with the launch of an electric taxi project at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
Better Place built the battery switch station at Schiphol Airport that will initially serve ten Renault Fluence Z.E. electric taxis operated by three leading Dutch taxi companies – Connexxion, Bios and TCA.
The Schiphol station is exclusively dedicated for the use of the Renault Fluence Z.E. electric taxis at this time.
Better Place also announced that it will expand the Schiphol showcase to include a second battery switch station in Amsterdam, which will increase the service area for the first group of electric taxis.
The Schiphol-Amsterdam corridor is one of the most demanding routes in the world with more than 700,000 taxi trips originating from Schiphol each year. Applying battery switch technology to electric taxis allows them to operate virtually around the clock without the need to stop, plug in, and charge. The project showcases that with the right solution, high usage vehicles such as taxis can make the switch to electric cars.
On average, Dutch consumers drive around 15,000 kilometers each year, with a large segment of business users that drive around 30,000 kilometers on average, making The Netherlands one of the most attractive markets for electric kilometers in Europe.
While this is just the beginning for Better Place Netherlands, the company is already proving that its model works today in its first markets – Israel and Denmark.
In both markets, drivers of more than 500 Renault Fluence Z.E. electric cars with switchable batteries have driven more than three million electric kilometers to date. In fact, Better Place has delivered more Renault Fluence Z.E.s in Israel year-to-date than in all of France, thanks to the Better Place network.
