Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Richard230]

According to an article in my newspaper today, written by Catherine Green of the LA Times, Tesla has announced plans to install battery swap stations at many of their Supercharging station facilities.  This appears to be big news - if you are a Tesla Model S owner (not so much otherwise). Tesla plans to start constructing facilities that would offer the Model S traveler the option to charge up for free or pay a (undisclosed) fee to just have their entire battery pack replaced with a new fully charged one. The Model S owner would drive over a pit, a technician would disconnect the car's battery and connect a new fully-charged battery pack to the underside of the car and the driver would then be able to take off and continue his trip.  Tesla has produced a video showing that it takes 4:09 minutes to fill the gas tank of an IC car, whereas the Tesla battery can be changed in 1 minute 33 seconds.  You would pay according to the condition of your existing battery pack and the condition of the fully charged replacement pack.  You could retain this battery or return later and have your old battery pack reinstalled, fully charged, in your car.

Tesla says that each battery swap station will cost $500,000 to build.  There is no mention what the cost would be to fully staff and maintain the swap stations 24/7. Tesla plans to implement this program along the busiest regional traffic corridors, including LA to SF and Boston to NYC.

You got to give Tesla credit for really putting up the cash to make it easy for their customers to travel long distances.  And you also have to give them credit for making it tough on all of the other EV manufacturers to do the same.  How is any other EV manufacturer going to compete with that program?  I don't believe that even a GM or Honda would be willing to take that financial risk for their customers.

Here is the full 15-minute video announcing the Tesla battery swap station plans: 

I couldn't watch more than a few minutes.  Everyone was just too happy for my tastes.   

[drivin98]

It doesn't make sense for other manufacturers to do the same. Other company's packs offer so little range, you'd need to four times as many stations, hold four times as much inventory.

If other manufacturers want to jump into the swapping game, they're going to have to pay up and use similar form factor and (likely patented) Tesla pack technology.

[manlytom]

I find it interesting. Supporting high performance charging and technology getting better on this AND battery swapping. Better Place seems not to active - at least in our part of the woods.
Credit and praise to Elon Musk - he is pushing it, has no conflict of interest as his rocket won't be electric that quickly. So, love to kick arse of the establishment and be disruptive. guess he can be as he has the cash !
go Elon.

[NoiseBoy]

I really think this is a mistake.  Its been tried before and didnt work but most significantly it's going to be much more expensive than gas even at european prices when you factor in the logistics and staffing.  Are they going to keep a batch of batteries of different ages so that you can have one similar to your own? Otherwise you will be paying 1000's every time you fill up with a better battery.  It just doesnt make sense to me.  Why not push the fast charging.

[firepower]

I think this is amazing, originally I though battery swap not practical, to labour intensive, but they do it quick with robot, Tesla are just covering all options, no more can anyone complain of slow charging, its quick than fill tank with gas.

Think of this like gas bottle swap and go, same idea.

I think they have limited number of battery packs underground and just recharge with fast charger and reuse empty packs, if a pack does not pass it removed or refused from swapping.

If you can afford a Tesla, you can afford a battery swap, I think this will be also great marketing too.
Tesla are like the Apple of the EV world, great design and performance, but you pay for it.

[NoiseBoy]

Model S owners arent necessarily millionaires, I have friends that are on average wages but own executive cars (through financing) that arent much cheaper than a Tesla.  They are hardly supercar money.

[protomech]

Hardly supercar money, yes. The base 60 kWh S is still about twice as expensive as the average car sold in the US, and three times as expensive as the lower-cost electric cars (all prices after federal credits).

[NoiseBoy]

When I visit the US i see alot more German exceutive cars than i ever used to.  My point is that someone who can afford to buy a Tesla doesn't necessarily have the cash flow to drop 100's or 1000's on a bettery swap/upgrade.

[Richard230]

I suspect that a lot of Tesla's, as well as the typical German and European luxury cars in the U.S., are being leased instead of being bought outright.

[Zero.DS.Sweden]

This is excellent PR but Supercharger is  the future. If you have well kept battery do you want to swap with a unknown battery?

[Richard230]

This is excellent PR but Supercharger is  the future. If you have well kept battery do you want to swap with a unknown battery?

Not me.  I baby my batteries and I expect them to outlast me.