Removable/swap-able batteries. DOA for good.

[Carsinmyblood]

Those sporting grey hair and bonus mileage will remember science magazines of our youth touting the emergence of electric vehicles with removable batteries. Range anxiety was all the rage and back in the day, 75 to 100 miles on a charge was considered the limits of human technology.

Put your car on a lift at stations strategically located along major highways and it's out with the discharged, in with the freshly charged battery.

This article is as recent as 2009. It's not just ancient history:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124223719358315997

Sponsored

 

[generaltso]

Don't tell Nio.

https://thedriven.io/2021/03/26/nio-has-now-done-two-million-electric-car-battery-swaps/

 

[Carsinmyblood]

Don't tell Nio.

https://thedriven.io/2021/03/26/nio-has-now-done-two-million-electric-car-battery-swaps/

JUST when you think you've got the world ALL figured out......

 

[ChasingCoral]

Don't tell Nio.

https://thedriven.io/2021/03/26/nio-has-now-done-two-million-electric-car-battery-swaps/

Or Renault
https://www.greencarreports.com/new...-upside-in-reviving-ev-battery-swapping-plans

 

[timbop]

I am not sure I get the appeal, or maybe I just don't understand how it works. There is no way I am going to give away an almost new $25000 part for one whose history and health are unknown. Say I go on a long road trip and end up coming back with an older mistreated battery. What happens to my battery warranty and what do I do if I can only charge it to 70% after having it for 3 months? Do I go on a road trip and swap it out, leaving somebody else stuck with a crappy battery?

Am I supposed to swap out my battery locally at a "battery bank" before the trip and then swap the battery I used to get home back in for my original battery in the "bank"? Even so, what happens if wiring or something was damaged in the whole process without me knowing?

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

I am not sure I get the appeal, or maybe I just don't understand how it works. There is no way I am going to give away an almost new $25000 part for one whose history and health are unknown. Say I go on a long road trip and end up coming back with an older mistreated battery. What happens to my battery warranty and what do I do if I can only charge it to 70% after having it for 3 months? Do I go on a road trip and swap it out, leaving somebody else stuck with a crappy battery?

Am I supposed to swap out my battery locally at a "battery bank" before the trip and then swap the battery I used to get home back in for my original battery in the "bank"? Even so, what happens if wiring or something was damaged in the whole process without me knowing?

Agreed. Presuming I could actually go on a real road trip, I'd not bother with a battery swap, even if such a thing were technically and practically feasible. I'd rather stop at the local Electron Station and stretch my legs before moving on with my known commodity battery to the next Electron America Service Station or my destination where I'd plug into a mini Electron America slow charger for the night.

 

[Carsinmyblood]

I think the appeal might be apparent in places where it would be impractical to 'home charge', as in large urban centers. It might make particular sense where cars are small, too small to support a 200-300 mile range battery.

It might also help to do this in countries where the government has the power to mandate compliance with the regs. required to up-scale to the point of practicality.

Install a battery swapping station in NC, SC, CA, WA.... and you'd lose your shirt. In the crowded suburbs of Beijing (or Los Angeles) it might be the only solution for individual car ownership, post-oil.

Try mandating that the big 6 comply and chip into the battery-swap system in this country and the market for EV would collapse, a perfect solution for the petroleum companies to pursue.

 

[Maquis]

Elon promised this, I believe, as little as 5 years ago. At one of his "Battery Day" events, he claimed he'd demo it within a year....still waiting.

 

[Maquis]

How much time would actually be saved over a properly functioning DCFC?
My answer: Probably not enough to make it worth the hassle.

 

[ajmartineau]

When energy density gets to the point where I can swap out 1 or 2 propane tank-sided batteries, I'll sign up. ...Like in all those sci-fi movies the kids are watching these days.

 

[dml105]

I am not sure I get the appeal, or maybe I just don't understand how it works. There is no way I am going to give away an almost new $25000 part for one whose history and health are unknown. Say I go on a long road trip and end up coming back with an older mistreated battery. What happens to my battery warranty and what do I do if I can only charge it to 70% after having it for 3 months? Do I go on a road trip and swap it out, leaving somebody else stuck with a crappy battery?

Am I supposed to swap out my battery locally at a "battery bank" before the trip and then swap the battery I used to get home back in for my original battery in the "bank"? Even so, what happens if wiring or something was damaged in the whole process without me knowing?

I think a system like this would require that the car's owner does not also own the battery. (And commensurately, the MSRP of the car should drop about $20k as well!) Instead, the car's owner can pay a deposit to a battery exchange service which itself owns all the batteries. The service would then charge a fee per exchange, bringing the economics in simile with ICE cars. Also, it's the service's responsibility to ensure good battery health when it exchanges one into a car.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Elon promised this, I believe, as little as 5 years ago. At one of his "Battery Day" events, he claimed he'd demo it within a year....still waiting.

Well in all fairness to Elon, he is heavily involved in SpaceX. He probably was thinking of space when he said that. One Neptune year is 165 Earth years. And for everyone's favorite not-a-planet, one Pluto year is 248 Earth years. So Elon is ahead of schedule on that one.

 

[generaltso]

I am not sure I get the appeal, or maybe I just don't understand how it works. There is no way I am going to give away an almost new $25000 part for one whose history and health are unknown.

I think a system like this would require that the car's owner does not also own the battery. (And commensurately, the MSRP of the car should drop about $20k as well!) Instead, the car's owner can pay a deposit to a battery exchange service which itself owns all the batteries. The service would then charge a fee per exchange, bringing the economics in simile with ICE cars. Also, it's the service's responsibility to ensure good battery health when it exchanges one into a car.

Right, that's how Nio is currently doing it. When you buy the car, it does not include the battery. You pay a monthly "lease" on the battery and can swap it out as needed. For around town, you may pay a low fee for a small battery. Then when you go on a road trip, you may swap it out for a larger battery and pay more that month. As long as there are enough swapping stations, you never have to wait to charge.

All that being said, I think this would be MUCH more difficult to implement in the US than in China.

 

[HuntingPudel]

In FIA Formula-E they swap cars In order to refuel. They don’t swap batteries due to the inherent danger of HV systems When trying to make haste.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

Elon promised this, I believe, as little as 5 years ago. At one of his "Battery Day" events, he claimed he'd demo it within a year....still waiting.

they cancelled it five years ago

Tesla shuts down battery swap program in favor of Superchargers, for now (teslarati.com)

Sponsored