better place opens danish center
Timothy Hitchcock
Europe's first visitor center for electric cars opens in Hellerup
Thursday Notes Better Place opens its doors to a brand new visitor center in Hellerup. Here you can among other test world's first mass-produced electric car with removable battery, Renault Fluence ZE Better Place also unveils what it will cost to subscribe to an EV battery.
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Of Majse Nørhald, Wednesday 02 March 2011 pm. 16:17
Wizard Louise Stoltze Møller accepted in the big white space where she presents Better Place Center - Europe's first visitor center for electric cars in Hellerup, which opens Thursday.
The engineer has secretly been looking at the new visitor center, from which concept the company will work to accelerate the shift towards sustainable transport. The Better Place-optics is the best way to switch from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles, based on replaceable batteries combined with charge pumps.
After the initial presentation manager Louise Stoltze Møller over to a group of chairs. A carpet running down electrically, forming a wall around the chairs, and are completely dark. The senses are sharpened as a screen running down from the ceiling.
After approx. 13 minutes long film lifted the curtain again. It has now become a little wiser about the energy used to transport CO2 emissions, climate change, and why Better Place believes electric cars are the solution.
Visitors get to see how a battery changes are performed in a model of the fully automatic battery switching stations. At the bottom of the room stands a large touch screen, where the guide explains available on Better Place solution.
Finally we see the car, a Renault Fluence ZE - the world's first production electric car with removable battery. It is innocent and white with blue details - the first time Renault has changed the color of their logo. It is a handmade exhibition model, "says spokeswoman Josephine Adorelle from Renault Denmark. The production cars trundle first out of the plant in autumn.
The car we are running a little later, is a "close-at-the-ready" model - it's just a few details which will be amended before it is ready to get on the streets, promises Renault spokeswoman. The car is silent, and for myself, who have never driven in an electric car before, it is a special experience. It seems unreal that a car can make so little noise.
The car has automatic transmission and regenerative braking, which means that the car seems a little on the battery when braking.
After a trip around the traffic keeps the car back in your seat by letting stand in the parking garage under the mall. Mikkel Linnet, communications consultant, Better Place, says that in Denmark today are around 100 charge spots for electric cars, of which approx. 60 publicly available. During 2011 the aim is that the number of public charge spots reaches 700-800 in the whole country.
Better Place promises big developments
Apart from raising charge spots up Better Place is working to establish a series of battery exchange stations in Denmark. Here Better Place electric cars drive in and get changed the discharged battery with a fully charged. The change must be done in the fully automatic battery switching stations and taking, according Better Place under five minutes.
The weakness of an electric car as Renault Fluence ZE is that it can not run more than 160 miles on a full charge the battery. If you're heading off on a long drive, it is therefore necessary with the ability to change the batteries.
In early 2012, there will be about 15-20 battery switch stations in Denmark, said Better Place. Battery switch stations will be located close to highways and roads into big cities. There have not yet made a complete plan for how these stations will be located. Better Place is working with 35 municipalities on the battery switch stations and public charge spots across the country.
The price of the battery is secret - for Thursday
205,000 pounds. That's what the world's first production electric car with removable battery will cost - but without a battery. At Better Place to buy then a subscription to the battery.
What price for the different subscriptions is, has in writing a secret but it is revealed by opening the center on Thursday.
With subscription to Better Place has access to public charge spots and battery exchange stations where a card can be identified.Additionally, having installed a charging stand by ownership of a car home.
Better Place's argument that the battery included in the subscription and not purchasing the car itself states: "For the buyer it is difficult to assess when the technology is sufficiently mature - to avoid the battery in the newly purchased electric car is dated within few years. "
The electric Renault runs on a lithium-ion battery, which according to Better Place is the world's most advanced. In addition, the car is equipped with a smart navigation system "that can guide the car to the nearest battery change stations if necessary.
Renault Fluence ZE coming on the road to October-November this year, but production begins this summer, communicate Better Place.
The article was written by Marie Majse Nørhald, 9 class that has been in professional practice of engineers.
02. March 2011 at 21:51
:-)
I seemed to ing.dk hiring Majse immediately!
It's actually one of the better items seen here on ing.dk! ;-)
As for the car so is 160 km / charge remained slightly fesent in my opinion! If you imagine a trip from Copenhagen to Falster and then possibly get a little headwind in the way that can happen in the country, so does the 160 km / charge is enough and I'm not quite sure to arrive!
Then there is also just the technical detail of the battery is on subscription.
Now if you buy a car 2 years after they first purchased and have come out running and you will a trip to Jutland, so will the way be forced to have changed the battery on the road - several times if it is a long journey to Jutland! So risking one to get a "used" charged battery, but capacity is not the same as when the battery is completely new and so there is no longer 160 km / charge!- And then there was just this with the headwinds!
It seems quite appealing with an electric car - but 160 km / charge is slightly fesent in my opinion.
02. March 2011 at 22:56
Price plus battery subscription.
The range is quite OK, the problem is pricing, where you produce a car for 80.000kr and requires good 200.000kr it, it gotta cost the same as the duty-paid diesel version, it will be interesting whether there are buyers in this price class, and where much a battery subscription will cost.
03. March 2011 at 02:01
nice
think it is great that a ninth class student can write an article that is significantly above the average of what the engineer may otherwise provide.
03. March 2011 at 09:05
Series produced
As far as I remember, the Citroën delivered mass produced electric cars in the late 90's.
I am looking to see if in general it is legal to rent the batteries from the provider.
Citroën had revealed problems with a similar solution, since their batteries are installed in cars, and thus a part of the car and not a loose usage of purpose.
The price for renting a battery bank, I can not imagine that it will be cheap because the factory warranty smoker for over 3 years, so the financial servicing of them are so relatively expensive.
03. March 2011 at 09:58
Re: great
Yes it must be said.
03. March 2011 at 10:10
Re: great
The only shortcoming is the address of the site. Why should it be secret?
03. March 2011 at 10:10
Re: :-)
It seems quite appealing with an electric car - but 160 km / charge is slightly fesent in my opinion
- Especially in the existence of credible 'evidence' that this range is achievable in conventional, daily driving conditions, especially in winter!
03. March 2011 at 10:43
Re: great
The only shortcoming is the address of the site. Why should it be secret?The address is:
Better Place Center
Strandvejen 60
2900 Hellerup
You must book your visit here:
http://booking.betterplacecent....dk/
03. March 2011 at 10:48
A Secret Better Place
I spent only 7 minutes to find this very secret place. Strandvejen 60, 2900 Hell.
03. March 2011 at 21:42
Re: :-)
Yes and no immediate misspellings.
07. March 2011 at 10:43
Can you let up at any electrical outlet?
It would be nice to let the lovely light - especially if the car also can tell how much you have left, so you can pay them visiting. There is hopefully a built-roll wire with different connectors.
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