Don't get us wrong, we think electric vehicles are totally rad and all, but there's still the whole recharging thing that makes us a little wary. That's why we're stoked to hear that Better Place's first battery swap station for EVs (and not just special Japanese cabbies) has officially opened its doors in Israel... for owners of the Renault Fluence Z.E. All it takes is an RFID card to enter the carwash-esque structure, and robots from below swap out your empty battery for a fully charged alternative while you occupy yourself for three minutes. No word on how much it'll cost for the opportunity, but we've got an inkling it won't be cheap. Fortunately, we've got apps and "get you home" guarantees for that additional peace of mind, but we do hope the concept eventually makes its way over to our shores. Of course, we're also still waiting for eternal battery life in all of our electronics, but until that day comes invisible robots changing batteries for us will suffice.
Israel gets its first EV battery swap station, makes charging stations obsolete originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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