The Metropolitan Transportation Commission with the backing of U.S. Department of Transportation, announced a commitment to bring a switchable battery, electric taxis service to San Francisco and San Jose. This comes just after a recent decision by LA Metro to roll out electric vehicle charging stations around Los Angeles. As for the bay area this announcement further cements the region position as the “EV Capital of the U.S.” The program is a partnership between a company called Better Place, which has been successfully operating a EV taxi program in Tokyo, Yellow Cab, various state agencies, and community organizations. This marks a significant milestone towards accelerating the mass adoption of electric vehicles in the Bay Area because this program will touch a broad audience and demonstrate a solution that offers drivers a more convenient option than today’s gasoline cars.
Over the next three years, the program will deploy and operate four battery switch stations in the San Francisco to San Jose corridor, that supports a fleet of zero-emission, switchable taxis. This fleet will offer many thousands of Bay Area residents and visitors their first EV(electric vehicle) experience. The program also has the potential to help California and the Bay Area meet their aggressive energy and climate policy goals when scaled to the entire region.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our march towards accelerating the mass adoption of electric cars in the Bay Area. This program will enable us to reach a broad audience and demonstrate a solution that offers drivers a more convenient option than today’s gasoline cars,” said Jason Wolf, VP of North America for Better Place. “The battery switch model is gaining momentum globally. Our Tokyo EV taxi program has proven to be an example to major metropolitan areas around the world, and we are pleased that the MTC recognized this and the Bay Area is taking a leadership position in the U.S.”
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said, “In November 2008, I was joined by Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Better Place in calling for making the San Francisco Bay Area the EV Capital of America, “This partnership with Better Place to build the first electric taxi program with switchable battery EVs in the U.S. helps make this a reality.”