http://www.energy.ca.gov/business_meetings/2012_packets/2012-10-10/Item_17_Bay_Area_Quality_Management_District.pdf
Excerpt below:
BACKGROUND/PROBLEM STATEMENT
Conventional transportation technologies and strategies pollute the air, degrade health, and
export money from the local economy among other things. Therefore, in order for California to
achieve its air quality, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, petroleum reduction and economic
goals, the State needs to look at new and alternative forms of transportation including electric
vehicles.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) believes that Better Place’s business
model, technology and business practices may represent an economically viable solution to
these problems. Their technology is currently being deployed in other regions around the globe
(Denmark and Israel most notably) and is showing excellent promise as a solution to reducing
emissions from transportation.
The proposed Bay Area eTaxi program will demonstrate a solution to address the region’s
long‐standing need to reduce criteria and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation;
a sector that accounts for nearly 40% of the region’s total GHG emissions. The program
demonstrates a strategy for mass market electrification of light duty vehicles powered by
renewable and clean California electricity that would allow the State to continue its leadership as
“the electric vehicle (EV) capitol of the United States.”
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE AGREEMENT
Goals of Resulting Agreement
The e-Taxi Program is designed to achieve 3 goals in building a scalable, replicable and costeffective
GHG emissions reduction strategy for the Bay Area:
1. Create the first North American eTaxi Corridor, providing unlimited range for participating
vehicles in less time than it takes to fill a tank of gas
2. Operate a fully functional zero emission switchable battery EV taxi fleet
3. Raise awareness on EVs with a million consumers through the EV taxi experience over this
and future phases
Objectives of the Agreement
1. Demonstrate that the battery switchable vehicle (XBEV) taxis can serve customers at a rate
similar to that of the comparable hybrid taxi service within the corridor
2. Show the battery switch concept’s robustness by demonstrating a minimum "down time" for
the equipment that is on the order of that for the comparable internal combustion engine
(ICE)/hybrid taxi average
3. Demonstrate commercial-intent XBEVs without any range