Better Place Joins Subaru, Other Carmakers, in Japanese Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project

December 9, 2008 – Vol.13 No.38

Better Place Joins Subaru, Other Carmakers, in Japanese Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project.

The Japanese Ministry of Environment has invited Better Place to build a battery exchange station for EVs and showcase the technology. Better Place is the only foreign company participating in the project.

The government’s project supports the move to sustainable transportation and includes various electric-car models and EV infrastructure in multiple cities to demonstrate feasibility.

The EV project is scheduled to begin in January 2009 and last three to six months, encompassing municipalities in Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka, and Hyogo prefectures. Yokohama—a participating city in Kanagawa—will host the first location to demonstrate the ability to exchange a depleted EV battery for a fully charged one, a means of extending EV range under the Better Place model. Participation in the Japanese project is the latest example of the model’s growing acceptance around the world.

“Better Place is honored to participate in this ground-breaking program in a country with so much auto-manufacturing expertise and history,” said Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO of Better Place. “We look forward to joining Subaru and other auto manufacturers in the project and demonstrating the feasibility of electric cars with swappable batteries to the rest of the industry. Japan is moving one step closer to the next-generation Car 2.0 model of electric cars fueled by renewable energy.”

Better Place is currently working with partners to build electric vehicle infrastructure in Israel, Denmark, Australia and the United States. (12/9/08)

Links:

--- Better Place
http://www.betterplace.com

--- Nissan to Sell Electric Cars in the U.S., Japan by 2010.

--- Renault-Nissan and Project Better Place to Commercialize Electric Vehicles in Israel.

--- Subaru Plug-in STELLA Concept, a New Prototype Electric Vehicle, to Provide Transport at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit.

Disclaimer, Forward-Looking or Safe Harbor Statement on original press release: No