Grumpycat
Elite Member
Everyone who doesn't drive an EV and hasn't put their own money on EV battery swap thinks it is a great idea.That could be. I don't see how swappable batteries are a logistically feasible solution in the US. It only seems relevant to long distance touring, and I would think the demand is too sparse and spread out to expect conveniently placed battery stations across the country.
Everyone who has invested in EV battery swap has lost their shirts. Just because it works for DeWalt power tools doesn't mean it works for automobiles and motorcycles.
The first problem with battery swap is that you are leasing a very expensive component that is easy to abuse. So you have to price the lease accordingly. No one has been able to overcome that burden.
First few years of Tesla Model S production was designed for robotic battery swap. Videos on YouTube of 90 second battery exchanges. Tesla ran one swap station for a year and charged $80 for a battery swap. But, one had a period where one had to return to swap one's original battery back else pay daily rental fees. I never asked if one was charged another $80 to get one's original battery back or whether that was included in the original fee.
The original Model S charged slower on Superchargers than current production. A friend added 250 miles of range to her Model 3 Long Range at a Supercharger in 35 minutes. That is a bit more time than the $80 Model S battery swap. She paid about $20 for the electricity. So what would you do to save $60 in 30 minutes?