13 “Better Place” Cars Hit the Streets of Israel To Test “Charge”

With all the hype, 13 Better Place EV cars are finally being imported in Israel to test charge spots.

They are being tested as taxis in San Francisco and Tokyo, and in Israel you can even test drive the battery-switchable fully electric (EV) car developed by Better Place/Renault. Within the next couple of weeks, Globes is reporting, some 13 Better Place Renaught Fluence cars will be on the roads in Israel testing the battery recharging stations. The cars got a special permit to enter the country to test out the charge spots now located in strategic places throughout Israel: one is at the Better Place visitors’ center at Pi Glilot outside Tel Aviv; and another spot is at the Cinema City movie theatre across the street.

Seeing as the charge spots at the movie theatre are located in the best parking spots, I’d hazard to guess how in the world the cars will ever get access to them.

The 13 cars will be marketing prototypes for sale in 2011 after the car passes Israeli import standards. The tests need to pass safety and environmental standards. In comparison to a small European country like Finland which only had 3 electric cars on the road this past summer, Israel has more than 10,000 hybrid electric cars currently in use in Israel. And about 8,000 natural gas ones.

Read more about Better Place:
Will Better Place Partner With the Chinese to Make the Chery?
Better Place Technology and the New Nissan Leaf
Better Place Receives Investment Fuel from HBSC

::Globes