Tesla To Build Its Own Battery-Swap Stations 377
New submitter lfp98 writes "Just a month after the collapse of independent battery-swap company Better Place, the uniquely successful maker of luxury electric cars, Tesla, has announced it will provide its own battery-swap capability for its Model S sedans. The first stations will be built adjacent to Tesla's charging stations on the SF-to-LA route, and a swap will take no longer than filling a gas tank. From the article: 'A battery pack swap will cost between $60 and $80, about the same as filling up a 15-gallon gas tank,' Musk said. 'Drivers who choose to swap must reclaim their original battery on their return trip or pay the difference in cost for the new pack.'"
Really? (Score:0, Interesting)
Really? We can get this for cars but many of our latest phones and laptops don't have accessible or replaceable batteries?
Re:reclaim their original battery? (Score:5, Interesting)
This battery swap system is going to fail. If you have to pick up your original battery on the return trip, how do you swap multiple times to drive cross country? Time limits? That won't work. Have to take the same route back? That's not going to work either. So Tesla is just building these swap stations to satisfy short-haul driving for the Model S. When the Model X comes out, we will still have this same problem so now you're just buying an SUV just because (you're not taking it off road, and you're not going on roadtrips).
This will be Telsa's Achilles Heel
Interesting idea (Score:4, Interesting)
Great idea; Catastrophic execution (Score:2, Interesting)
Battery swap stations with cheaper prices than fuel are *the* killer feature that would everyone switch to electric with their next car.
And since solar power is nearly free, that should not be a problem.
But these high prices, lack of performance guarantees, and the expectation to pay even more for the new pack or be forced to take it back murders the concept in its crib. A false flag operation to destroy it couldn't have been worse thought out without losing believability.
I don't get what the problem is...
There *already* exists a system for returnable starter batteries (at least here in Germany), which works similar to returnable bottles.
Just build an automatic underground storage for batteries, which automatically keeps the batteries charged, using solar power (cheap!), and automatically marks all batteries below a certain performance (amount of energy it can store and wattage it can deliver) for recycling. Then every month or so a truck comes, and replaces all the dead ones with new ones.
You drive above it, a machine (e.g. a on a rail) detaches the empty pack (if it is of the right type), moves it to the storage, takes a new one out of storage, attaches it meanwhile you pay using the terminal, or a mobile phone app... and off you go.
You wouldn't even have to leave the damn car!
The price would just be the money to keep the refill stations and batteries alive (= recharging, repair, replacement, modernization), divided by the number of clients, plus your profit. That's it.
If that's not profitable, say that publicly (so that nobody misses it), and we know what's up! If it is, *do it*. What's the hold-up?
Re:reclaim their original battery? (Score:5, Interesting)
A 10 minute stop every 150 miles is not a big deal.
You say that but on the last Tesla thread there were legions (well maybe one or two) of slashdotters who claimed that they regurlarly drove 7 hours without a break so clearly this will be a deal breaker for them and everyone else.
This steps around most of the problem, but now you'll have people who regularly drive 7 hours to completely random uncorrelated locations without a break. Naturally of course electric cars are unsuitable for the general population as a result.
Some people here seem to be very emotionally invested in the idea that electric cars will fail. I'm unclear as to why, but they will find all manner of bizarre excuses and rare use cases for why electric cars will fail.
The thing is electric vehicles have dominated well in certain niches and as tech improves the niches will expand, as they are expanding right now.
Re:reclaim their original battery? (Score:4, Interesting)
As a member of one of those understrength legions you are talking about, you're doing the point a disservice. Some of us may be luddites, but I'm certainly not. I just don't want to trade a car that does everything I need for one that does not (and pay more for the privilege).
For instance, I have been looking for a battery swap program, which would make trips a lot more feasible without long stops intervening to refuel. This program is getting closer to what I want to see. Obviously, there are some downsides to be worked out, but it is a step in the right direction.
And no, my routes are usually the same, and are predominantly Interstate driving, so this could work. I do shift routes occasionally, based on traffic at my destination, but it is usually a choice of one or two routes, not "random". That said, I'll be driving to another state soon to go to an event that I attend maybe once a year. I'd like my car to be able to get me there with minimal trouble, but this might be in the range of these vehicles.
I get the feeling that you have some idea that oil companies are paying shills to have these objections, or you believe that we are out to get electric cars. Nothing is farther from the truth. When I write about what I would like to see, I am asking for features or outlining requirements for my own purchase. I am not suggesting that it will not work as a mass production vehicle. There are plenty of people who would use these for commuter vehicles, and in that regard, they are pretty much there.
What current EVs are *not* is a replacement for an automobile for more general transportation purposes. They are not yet a replacement for a standard gasoline/diesel vehicle, and I would actually like for these electric car companies to work to that end (as I am sure they are). If I am complaining, it is mostly so that people are aware that what they are giving is not good enough for me, but I certainly don't want to discourage others from buying it if it is perfectly acceptable for them. After all, early adopters will provide the capital to get features that I want, so please, keep buy them if you like them.