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The problem with battery swaps was that you're exchanging a big heavy $20,000 box with minimal assurance of its integrity. I'd rather wait for my battery to cha

The problem with battery swaps was that you're exchanging a big heavy $20,000 box with minimal assurance of its integrity. I'd rather wait for my battery to charge in 20 minutes rather than swap one for another, never knowing if I'm getting bad hardware in the process. A recurring overlooked point of EVs: minimal exceptions aside, you begin every day with a full charge, and with 300+ mile batteries you're unlikely to run out most days. You almost never have to "fill up" like with gasoline; a 5 minute gas "recharge" every few days loses to never having to "recharge" at all (park for the night, plug in, charged by morning). In this context, swapping the entire battery seems distressing overkill. Trying to explain this paradigm shift to people who never drove EVs is...difficult.

mikestew 9y ago
I never realized what a pain the ass it is to drive a gas car until we got the Leaf, while keeping the gas car. It’s a first-world problem for sure, but having to go out of my way to “recharge” now seems so...primitive. As you say, it’s difficult to explain to the unwashed.
- ggm 9y ago
  Oh, I get it. I know my driving is dominated by short run. But I also know that my desire for long run country driving is there. My key point wasn't to sell battery swap. It was to try and argue autonomous vehicle design should be decoupled from EV distribution.
  - FullyFunctional 9y ago
    That's why, for me, the Tesla Supercharging network was a complete game changer. I've gone on multiple multi-day trips that were enabled by the Supercharger. We got rid of our last ICE car more than a year ago.
ggm 9y ago
Which exemplifies the barrier to long distance EV driving. Taking you at your word, a vehicle capable of battery swap could also charge. It's not either-or. The value of the battery is mutable and would be less than $20k in an economy driven by swaps. But it would be a high value exchange. Bad batteries would have to be driven out of the system because lemons would kill it. It's more than a perception problem,you are right. What's the barrier to AV? Legislative and technology. Big problems, both with long-term high cost shape. Driving the market to EV+AV feels like a bad play. Feels like Newton driving to pass and handwriting recognition and that worked well for pads.. but not for Newton.

mikestew 9y ago

I never realized what a pain the ass it is to drive a gas car until we got the Leaf, while keeping the gas car. It’s a first-world problem for sure, but having to go out of my way to “recharge” now seems so...primitive. As you say, it’s difficult to explain to the unwashed.

ggm 9y ago
Oh, I get it. I know my driving is dominated by short run. But I also know that my desire for long run country driving is there. My key point wasn't to sell battery swap. It was to try and argue autonomous vehicle design should be decoupled from EV distribution.
- FullyFunctional 9y ago
  That's why, for me, the Tesla Supercharging network was a complete game changer. I've gone on multiple multi-day trips that were enabled by the Supercharger. We got rid of our last ICE car more than a year ago.

ggm 9y ago

Which exemplifies the barrier to long distance EV driving. Taking you at your word, a vehicle capable of battery swap could also charge. It's not either-or. The value of the battery is mutable and would be less than $20k in an economy driven by swaps. But it would be a high value exchange. Bad batteries would have to be driven out of the system because lemons would kill it. It's more than a perception problem,you are right. What's the barrier to AV? Legislative and technology. Big problems, both with long-term high cost shape. Driving the market to EV+AV feels like a bad play. Feels like Newton driving to pass and handwriting recognition and that worked well for pads.. but not for Newton.