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Swappable batteries are the solution to both vehicle weight and range/charging dwell time. The missing piece is a standardized form factor - I hope the EU parl

Swappable batteries are the solution to both vehicle weight and range/charging dwell time. The missing piece is a standardized form factor - I hope the EU parliament or California legislature are working on something to nudge things in that direction.

HellDunkel 3y ago
Why? Battery capacity/density is going up quicky. Charging times go down. Why swap a battery?
- nehal3m 3y ago
  If not hot-swappable, having a design that will at least let you replace the battery would be good for battery-wear and as a secondary effect the used car market (since replacing the battery wouldn't impossible, if not labor-intensive).
  - HellDunkel 3y ago
    I kind of like your point. Replaceable batteries should somehow be mandatory- i agree. Hot swapping still seems driven by range anxiety.
- usrusr 3y ago
  Is it? All I see is prices going down so that bigger/heavier batteries become a reality.
  - HellDunkel 3y ago
    That just a side effect of the current "luxury/premium" market. I will just fade away and nobody will rememer in a few years.
newsclues 3y ago
Three problems: A) Battery weight is constant even when there is no power, compared to liquid fuel which gets consumed and the weight decreases. B) Because batteries are heavy (optimal location is low in the vehicle for centre of gravity) which is a mechanical and logistical problem for battery swaps C) Batteries are big and heavy. Swapping 1,800 pounds of battery is hard. Pumping gas is easy, fast, compact, and light. Engineering around physics is hard.
- geraldhh 3y ago
  all non-stoppers imho gasoline is very hazardous. getting rid of this in exchange for some weight seems a good trade.
  - newsclues 3y ago
    "gasoline is very hazardous" Battery fires aren't?
    - geraldhh 3y ago
      imho the frequency of battery fires is much lower than of handling gasoline. i mean, yes batteries can catch fire if mistreated. gasoline constantly evaporates toxic substances and will catch fire if you look at it too hard.
usrusr 3y ago
But day to day driving is far inside the boundaries of any range issues. Swappable would inevitably imply something that's essentially a switch to rented, because battery wear cannot be ignored. The best way would be some rentable range extender battery (one-way, so that you can swap them like horses). With that available, affordable short range cars would suddenly become an attractive reality. I guess the most universal interface for this would be some kind of trailer. Or perhaps even some semi-autonomous companion battery that follows in the slipstream under it's own power but on a non-tensioned reverse umbilical? Just brainstorming about ways in which modern technology could help making the add-on battery painless.
- dayofthedaleks 3y ago
  I like that approach, because I know from experience eBikes and large-battery trailers are very useful for road trips.

HellDunkel 3y ago

Why? Battery capacity/density is going up quicky. Charging times go down. Why swap a battery?

nehal3m 3y ago
If not hot-swappable, having a design that will at least let you replace the battery would be good for battery-wear and as a secondary effect the used car market (since replacing the battery wouldn't impossible, if not labor-intensive).
- HellDunkel 3y ago
  I kind of like your point. Replaceable batteries should somehow be mandatory- i agree. Hot swapping still seems driven by range anxiety.
usrusr 3y ago
Is it? All I see is prices going down so that bigger/heavier batteries become a reality.
- HellDunkel 3y ago
  That just a side effect of the current "luxury/premium" market. I will just fade away and nobody will rememer in a few years.

newsclues 3y ago

Three problems: A) Battery weight is constant even when there is no power, compared to liquid fuel which gets consumed and the weight decreases. B) Because batteries are heavy (optimal location is low in the vehicle for centre of gravity) which is a mechanical and logistical problem for battery swaps C) Batteries are big and heavy. Swapping 1,800 pounds of battery is hard. Pumping gas is easy, fast, compact, and light. Engineering around physics is hard.

geraldhh 3y ago
all non-stoppers imho gasoline is very hazardous. getting rid of this in exchange for some weight seems a good trade.
- newsclues 3y ago
  "gasoline is very hazardous" Battery fires aren't?
  - geraldhh 3y ago
    imho the frequency of battery fires is much lower than of handling gasoline. i mean, yes batteries can catch fire if mistreated. gasoline constantly evaporates toxic substances and will catch fire if you look at it too hard.

usrusr 3y ago

But day to day driving is far inside the boundaries of any range issues. Swappable would inevitably imply something that's essentially a switch to rented, because battery wear cannot be ignored. The best way would be some rentable range extender battery (one-way, so that you can swap them like horses). With that available, affordable short range cars would suddenly become an attractive reality. I guess the most universal interface for this would be some kind of trailer. Or perhaps even some semi-autonomous companion battery that follows in the slipstream under it's own power but on a non-tensioned reverse umbilical? Just brainstorming about ways in which modern technology could help making the add-on battery painless.

dayofthedaleks 3y ago
I like that approach, because I know from experience eBikes and large-battery trailers are very useful for road trips.