Making the EV world a Better Place

The matter of charging infrastructure and who takes responsibility for this has become a hot topic lately. The mass-scale adoption of electric vehicles in the near future is dependant upon the development of a public charging infrastructure that could service EVs of all types.

There is a wide belief that the current limitation of an electric vehicle like Joule is that you cannot pull into a filling station on the way to your destination like you can with a normal car, and fill up your tank when it is empty. While most electric vehicles are designed to charge at home, there is a great need for a public charging infrastructure that is efficient and cost-effective.

While governments all over the world have been investigating the charging needs of EVs and planning the implementation of large-scale rollouts of charging infrastructure, a company called Better Place is paving the way to becoming the global private supplier of EV charging networks.

Better Place has recognised the need for a unique and sustainable solution to the public charging problem. Their business is built on two platforms: a series of charging stations that provide energy for EVs in essential locations such as offices and public spaces, and a battery swapping network that allows for the owner of an EV to replace a depleted battery with a full battery in under a minute.

The key areas currently focused on are Israel, Denmark, Australia, North America, Japan and China. Battery-swopping demonstration centers have been opened in Israel and Japan (where a fleet of electric taxis are already operational and making use of the swapping station), while Canberra has been earmarked as the site of the first citywide rollout of charging infrastructure in Australia.

Better Place currently have an agreement with Renault-Nissan to use their vehicles, but discussions with Optimal Energy recently came underway to supply vehicles for Better Place in Australia and other countries around the world. The benefit of using Joule is that the battery pack is centrally located in the floor of the vehicle, a key requirement for Better Place’s battery-swapping network to be successful.

Batteries are the most expensive component of an EV. Better Place believes that the solution to this problem lies in decoupling the battery from the vehicle, and offering it as part of the energy service. This allows the vehicle owner to select various size batteries, depending on their range requirements. Although the battery models of manufacturers currently differ when it comes to price, ownership and maintenance, a standard would most likely be welcomed by the industry.

Shai Agassi, the founder and CEO of Better Place, works with government leaders, motor manufacturers like Optimal Energy and energy companies to make his vision of electric vehicles run by renewable sources a reality. While Agassi’s company has been leading the race, governments have realised the need for a charging network, and will play an equally important role in the introduction of EVs into society.

Governments all over the world, and especially in Europe, have been installing public charging stations in major cities for the past few years already. Based on the current investment in infrastructure, analysts Frost & Sullivan report an expected 180 000 EV charging stations by 2015 in the US alone, while Europe will boast 360 000 charging stations by the same mark.

The development of battery technology will also assist in the effective implementation of public charging. A current restraint is the charging time required by EVs through standard charging, but it is expected that fast-charging, as well as the further deployment of battery-swap stations will solve this problem. A public charging network will also drive standardisation between EV manufacturers, which will be beneficial to all.

The role that companies like Better Place will play in the EV industry is vital to the successful adoption of electric vehicles across the world. As an industry with an expected annual revenue of over R4,8 billion by 2015, buyers of electric vehicles needn’t be concerned about charging infrastructure. The public and private sector will both be vying to get the bigger slice of the pie.