The weight is crazy (Model 3 long range is ~1000lbs), so you need a serious facility to swap. They are relatively delicate, and flammable in a terrifying way,

The weight is crazy (Model 3 long range is ~1000lbs), so you need a serious facility to swap. They are relatively delicate, and flammable in a terrifying way, so you'd need to trust the facility more than e.g. your average oil & tire swap shop. From an engineering POV they need a coolant loop w/ a pump, a high voltage connect to the charger, and usually also a connection to a DC-DC converter for the 12v systems on the car. So if you make it modular/removable, you need a (standardized) answer for how to do all of this. The form factor of the battery is tied fairly strongly to the chassis generally, so if you force a standardization of it you limit manufacturer's options there. Finally, probably the most important, is ownership model. The battery is the most expensive part in the car, by far. It basically is the car. Who owns it? What's the revenue model? How does insurance handle it? Will consumers accept a situation where they're getting random batteries shoved in affecting the performance etc. of their car? It's just a whole thing. It's been attempted, and not succeeded is what I see. Now, what I don't understand is why this isn't the model for EV shipping trucks. In that case they already have a highly modular, heavy duty platform and they already have to check into frequent weigh stations, and the operator rarely owns the truck. I don't understand why the shipping industry wouldn't pursue a model where a standardized set of pre-charged batteries aren't sitting on automated forklifts at weigh stations ready for swap during weigh-ins, with the fleet owners paying a fee for that maintenance...