Europe's first battery switch station unveiled in Denmark

In preparation for commercial launch later this year, Better Place has unveiled the company's first battery switch station in Europe at an event in Gladsaxe, just outside Copenhagen.
January 27, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

In preparation for commercial launch later this year, 170 Better Place has unveiled the company’s first battery switch station in Europe at an event in Gladsaxe, just outside Copenhagen. The station, which showcased the company’s battery switch technology, switching a 2453 Renault Fluence Z.E., is the first of 20 stations to be deployed across the country over the next nine months as part of the company’s nationwide network of charging infrastructure that will launch later this year in partnership with Dong Energy and more than 45 municipalities.

“Today marks a significant milestone for the partnership between Better Place and Renault. Together we are unlocking the full potential of electric cars, giving them virtually unlimited range because they no longer have to wait hours to charge. Danish consumers are poised to lead the transition to a more sustainable transportation model,” said Henrik Bang, Renault Denmark.

The battery switch experience is a simple, fully-automated process that together with the Renault Fluence ZE gives drivers the autonomy of unlimited range. Customers simply swipe their membership card, which authenticates the car and subscription via the Operations Centre to activate the switch. The rest of the process is automated, similar to going through a car wash, so the driver never has to leave the car. In just a few minutes, a robotic arm removes the depleted battery and replaces it with a full one and the driver is back on the road.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Technology advances improve enforcement
    July 26, 2012
    Across the board, technology is being brought to bear to improve the efficiency of enforcement. Bus lane monitoring, parking and controlled access have all benefited from systems introduced in recent months. While speed and red light infringements tend to attract the most attention, there remain several other areas of enforcement where automation can bring significant operational and efficiency benefits. Lane monitoring and access control also continue to benefit from technological development.
    Read More
  • Free-flow upgrade to Holland's Westerschelde tunnel's toll system
    February 1, 2012
    Unbroken service Technolution's Winifred Roggekamp and Dave Marples describe efforts to upgrade the Westerscheldetunnel's tolling system to give free-flow capability. Until 2003 the Flanders region of Zeeland, in the south-west of the Netherlands, was connected to the mainland only by ferry. The new Westerscheldetunnel, a 6.6km toll tunnel, improves communications with the region considerably, taking some 100km off the alternative road journey. In 2006 it was recognised that the toll plaza for the tunnel ne
    Read More
  • Annika Lundkvist of Pedestrianspace.org: "How are you moving today?"
    March 8, 2024
    It’s easy to say that people should embrace active travel – but it’s often not as simple as that. Advocates must beware of a disconnect with people’s lives and options on the ground, says Annika Lundkvist
    Read More
  • Geotoll’s payment app could be the smart answer to tolling interoperability
    July 30, 2013
    Jon Masters looks at a smartphone app which could be the ‘disruptive technology’ that eases the way to interoperability in tolling systems. Consumer demand may soon drive the biggest step change yet in tolling. In the United States a new start-up company, Geotoll, has launched a smartphone app for electronic toll payment. It is not beyond possibility that rapid growth of the market for smartphones will continue – an estimated 50% of US citizens and 80% of Europeans now have one – and that the Geotoll brand
    Read More

Highlighted Content