Electric Taxis tested in Tokyo

Posted by Samron Jude on August 26th, 2009 in Japan | Comments Off

The Japanese government is asking the EV evangelists at Better Place to electrify some of taxis in the city of Tokyo, So by January there could be taxis with cords on the road.
tokyo_taxi

The Silicon Valley startup’s swappable batteries will be used, which takes almost the same time to replace as it takes while filling a gas tank.

The main program between Better Place and Nihon Kotsu which is Tokyo’s largest taxi company would be the first real test of the innovative battery swap technology. Better Place emphasizes the ability to quickly and easy change a dead battery is essential to eliminating the “range anxiety” that makes EVs a tough sell.

Tokyo has about 60,000 taxis, that’s more than New York, Paris or Hong Kong. Although those taxis represent only two percent of the vehicles in Japan, they account for 20 percent of the CO2 that country’s automobiles produce, said Kiyotaka Fujii, president of Better Place Japan.

For more information please Visit: www.wired.com


 

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