Interchangeable Battery Electric Car Demonstrated

Better Place, a California company, is testing the process for extending the mileage of electric cars by swapping out batteries at strategically placed stations.

At a demonstration in Yokohama, Japan, using a Nissan electric vehicle, the company demonstrated the technology, in which customers would subscribe to a service based on their estimated driving needs. Individual charging stations, not consumers, would own the batteries.

Markets targeted for the service include the United States, Israel, Denmark, Canada and Japan, according to Reuters.