Swappable batteries arrive in Australia next year in a slick electric sedan built by Renault.

The French automaker will introduce the Renault Fluence Z.E. to Canberra, where Silicon Valley startup Better Place is rolling out the battery swap stations and public charging infrastructure needed to keep the cars going. It's another big step forward for the two companies and their aggressive plans to electrify transportation.

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has boldly predicted electric vehicles will comprise 10 percent of the global market by 2020, and he's invested $5.6 billion to help make that happen. Better Place founder Shai Agassi wants to be the man who keeps those cars rolling, cribbing from cellular providers with a plan to sell subscriptions to a charging network.

Renault and Better Place have similar deals going in Israel and Denmark, but Australia is unique and a real test for electric vehicles. Oz is a big, big place where people tend to drive vast distances, which limits the practicality of an electric vehicle. That's where the swappable batteries come in – deplete your pack and you can swap it in the time it takes to fill a car with gas.

"We think Fluence Z.E., together with Better Place switch stations, will be a very attractive offer for Australian customers, who traditionally commute long distances," Thierry Koskas, Renault's VP for electric vehicles, said in a statement announcing the deal.

Renault says the car will be available in Canberra by mid-2012 with broader sales to follow months later. Buyers will sign up with Better Place, which will provide a home charger and access to a public infrastructure and swap stations. No word on the pricing, but Better Place Australia boss Evan Thornely says the subscriptions offer "the same or better affordability as a petrol car."

"We're giving Australian drivers access to fully electric cars and a ubiquitous charge network that presents a real alternative to the tyranny of petrol prices," he said.

Denmark provides a glimpse of what a Z.E. will cost. The car goes for a little more than $38,000 (at current exchange rates) in Denmark. It’s got a claimed range of 114 miles, a swappable battery and features that put it on par with other cars in its class. Add another $1,870 for a charging station, plus a battery-subscription service that runs $277 to $556 per month and you’ll have your total cost of ownership.

Granted, those costs are specific to Denmark and Australia might be different. But for the Danes, the Fluence Z.E. represents a viable, and affordable, alternative. Gasoline is almost 10 bucks a gallon in Denmark right now and the government levies a tax of up to 180 percent on the cost of a conventional car.

The Australian says the first swap stations will appear in Canberra later this year now that Better Place has signed a 10-year, $60 million deal with Actew AGL to supply renewable energy. Better Place plans to expand the network to Sydney and other cities at some point.

Photo: Better Place. The Fluence Z.E. at the Better Place Center in Copenhagen on March 3.

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