Better Place supports production vehicles that are compliant with the relevant local and international standards for electric charging. This is a decision that was made after working closely with the independent testing lab, TUV Rheinland. This approach ensures our technology integrates with the high standards that are required of production vehicles, and provides charging that meets those stringent requirements.
We install Charge Spots into private homes and offices for electric car drivers around Australia, excluding the Northern Territory. Call 1300 006 938 if you're interested in installing a Charge Spot for your electric car.
Our public network is growing all the time. View our map to see the latest public Charge Spots.
Fixed batteries can only be recharged by plugging them in. To extend a journey beyond the range of a fixed battery will be inconvenient. Even with quick charge systems, this typically takes 30 minutes to recharge to 80% capacity. This is OK as a back-up system, but it won’t be convenient in most circumstances.
The battery is the most expensive component of an EV. When they’re fixed in the vehicle, it means the cost of the car overall is higher than it needs to be. Mass adoption will occur sooner if electric cars are of comparable price to a petrol car. Electric car owners with fixed batteries will also face the risk that the battery will be a lemon or may be quickly outmoded - this exposes them to a high degree of risk. With battery switch this ownership risk is removed from the electric car owner.
Australia was selected because it is such as big country. The Better Place solution is entirely scalable and a large country like Australia can demonstrate this well. There is a common misconception out there that electric cars are small and only to be driven short distances by people living in the inner city. It is actually drivers who spend the most on petrol that will benefit from the electric cars in the first instance: large, powerful cars that drive long distances.
The bulk of petrol consumed in Australia is by people who live in the outer suburbs, who drive long distances and have hefty annual petrol bills. Additionally, Australia has a domestic car industry, a car industry that is in trouble, and could really benefit from being at the forefront of the new generation of driving. Australia knows how to make large, powerful vehicles. It has an opportunity to be the world leader in building large, powerful electric vehicles, which will facilitate zero emissions driving.
We have membership packages available to support the Holden Volt, Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
We're building a public charge spot network across Australia to support electric car drivers. See our progress to date.
All the building blocks are now in place to make electric cars a real choice for drivers.
Our electric car network makes driving more convenient and sustainable.
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