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The problem will go away over time as we migrate to electric cars.

by trollied 5y ago

powerbroker 5y ago
Perhaps a new problem -- that of stealing the more valuable batteries, might emerge?
- jccooper 5y ago
  That's approximately the same sort of operation as stealing the engine of a car. Not something you can do in a couple minutes with a battery powered angle grinder.
  - leecb 5y ago
    Tesla has demonstrated that their batteries can be removed and replaced in a matter of a minute or two, given the right equipment. https://www.tesla.com/videos/battery-swap-event https://www.tesla.com/videos/battery-swap-event Since the batteries cost an order of magnitude more than a catalytic converter, this could justify criminals developing more sophisticated equipment to pull it off.
    - skunkworker 5y ago
      This used to be more true, but with their new battery packs becoming an integral part of the frame, this is no longer going to be possible. https://electrek.co/2021/01/19/tesla-structural-battery-pack-first-picture/ https://electrek.co/2021/01/19/tesla-structural-battery-pack...
    - johnnywasagood 5y ago
      Four bricks and a jack I guess.
    - SilasX 5y ago
      Interesting, I’ve always thought it would make more sense to optimize for hot-swappable batteries rather than try to improve supercharger tech.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
- mikestew 5y ago
  You know why I haven’t replaced the batteries on our 11 year old Nissan Leaf? Because I’m not quite ready to devote what will probably be multiple weekends to the job. So dispel any ideas you might have of someone snagging a battery pack in the middle of the night before I manage to release the hounds.
- Gigachad 5y ago
  The battery packs will likely be serial number locked to the car as well as physically locked.
  - Scoundreller 5y ago
    Internally they might just be standard cells. Might even be more profitable to sell them individually, just like shucking hard drives. Somehow the big vendors get prices that consumers can only dream of.
exhilaration 5y ago
EV batteries are even more valuable than catalytic converters. Even at 200 or 300 lbs per battery pack, I bet we'll see EV battery thefts in the next couple of years.
- mitigating 5y ago
  The Tesla Model 3 LR battery weighs 1060 pounds and can only be removed from the car as a single unit.
- acdha 5y ago
  I’m sure we’ll see some thefts but these are easily removed and small. Most EV batteries are the opposite on both counts — and if they were designed to be removable, they’d fit them with locks like on e-bikes. It’s easy to run a sting operation jailing any business which will buy battery packs with the locks cut off.

The problem will go away over time as we migrate to electric cars.

powerbroker 5y ago

Perhaps a new problem -- that of stealing the more valuable batteries, might emerge?

jccooper 5y ago
That's approximately the same sort of operation as stealing the engine of a car. Not something you can do in a couple minutes with a battery powered angle grinder.
- leecb 5y ago
  Tesla has demonstrated that their batteries can be removed and replaced in a matter of a minute or two, given the right equipment. https://www.tesla.com/videos/battery-swap-event https://www.tesla.com/videos/battery-swap-event Since the batteries cost an order of magnitude more than a catalytic converter, this could justify criminals developing more sophisticated equipment to pull it off.
  - skunkworker 5y ago
    This used to be more true, but with their new battery packs becoming an integral part of the frame, this is no longer going to be possible. https://electrek.co/2021/01/19/tesla-structural-battery-pack-first-picture/ https://electrek.co/2021/01/19/tesla-structural-battery-pack...
  - johnnywasagood 5y ago
    Four bricks and a jack I guess.
  - SilasX 5y ago
    Interesting, I’ve always thought it would make more sense to optimize for hot-swappable batteries rather than try to improve supercharger tech.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
mikestew 5y ago
You know why I haven’t replaced the batteries on our 11 year old Nissan Leaf? Because I’m not quite ready to devote what will probably be multiple weekends to the job. So dispel any ideas you might have of someone snagging a battery pack in the middle of the night before I manage to release the hounds.
Gigachad 5y ago
The battery packs will likely be serial number locked to the car as well as physically locked.
- Scoundreller 5y ago
  Internally they might just be standard cells. Might even be more profitable to sell them individually, just like shucking hard drives. Somehow the big vendors get prices that consumers can only dream of.

exhilaration 5y ago

EV batteries are even more valuable than catalytic converters. Even at 200 or 300 lbs per battery pack, I bet we'll see EV battery thefts in the next couple of years.

mitigating 5y ago
The Tesla Model 3 LR battery weighs 1060 pounds and can only be removed from the car as a single unit.
acdha 5y ago
I’m sure we’ll see some thefts but these are easily removed and small. Most EV batteries are the opposite on both counts — and if they were designed to be removable, they’d fit them with locks like on e-bikes. It’s easy to run a sting operation jailing any business which will buy battery packs with the locks cut off.