Using $3 million in funds from the California Energy Commission, Better Place is launching a project in California with 4 Coda Sedan electric vehicles that will be customized to allow their batteries to be switched out in a matter of minutes. The program will start in 2014, and Better Place ultimately hopes to support a fleet of 60 Coda Sedan electric taxis between San Francisco and San Jose with 6 swapping stations along the way.
Better Place is already operating battery swapping taxi systems in Tokyo and Amsterdam after starting in Israel and Denmark with Renault Electric Vehicles.
In early October, Better Place founder Shai Agassi left the company. Since 2007, the company has lost almost $400 million.