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Is this the New EV charger solution for cities

RickLightning

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Keep in mind that Europeans charge differently, so plugging into something on the curb that then disappears when not in use isn't the same as we charge, where the cord is mostly provided. And most of our chargers that come with vehicles can simply be taken.
 

The Weatherman

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Calvin H-C

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Keep in mind that Europeans charge differently, so plugging into something on the curb that then disappears when not in use isn't the same as we charge, where the cord is mostly provided.
Exactly - over there, public chargers are BYOC - Bring Your Own Cord. 😉
 

chl

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What does one do when their RC toy car loses juice? Swap out the expended batteries for ones that are fully charged.

Well, that idea applied to EVs is gaining interest some places, mostly China for 4 wheel vehicles, in Israel for mopeds.

Nio (a Chinese EV maker) is doing that and CATL (the battery maker) has a system as well called EVOGO (see article from 2022 at: https://www.greencarreports.com/new...y-swapping-solution-entire-business-around-it ).

Swapping the battery using an automatic system is faster than fast charging.
Various cars can be retro-fitted to use swapable battery packs.

In San Francisco, there is a company called AMPLE, that can swap an EV battery in 5 minutes.

Right now I think the market is mainly fleet owner vehicles like Uber.

https://mashable.com/video/electric-car-battery-swapping-ev-ample

Anyway, when ever I see the issue of charging infrastructure I always think - there is a better way.

If it takes 5 minute to swap, the issue of waiting for the guy ahead of you to finish his 30 minute charge at the charge station goes away.

And the swapping company deals with the issue of battery lifespan.

If once could buy a Lightning WITHOUT the battery, and pay for battery swapping on the fly, the MSRP could be greatly reduced. Another way to go would be to buy the vehicle but lease the battery.

Another advantage is that as battery technology changes and gets better, the vehicle owner can take advantage of that instead of being stuck with an expensive older tech battery and the cost of buying the newer tech battery.

Make too much sense to ever get the attention of the US dinosaur manufacturers who can't even seem to get the idea of aerodynamics and light weight but strong materials when they build an EV pickup truck...
 

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Calvin H-C

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Anyway, when ever I see the issue of charging infrastructure I always think - there is a better way.

If it takes 5 minute to swap, the issue of waiting for the guy ahead of you to finish his 30 minute charge at the charge station goes away.
Years ago, if you bought a gas grill that used propane, refuelling involved taking your tank to a place with the infrastructure to store bulk propane and fill empty tanks. If your tank was old enough you would have to replace it yourself.

While there are still places like that around, you can generally go to almost any Home Depot, Lowe's, or even Wal-Mart to swap your tank for a full one.

The EV industry needs to learn what the "propane and propane accessories" industry learned years ago.
 

Pioneer74

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Years ago, if you bought a gas grill that used propane, refuelling involved taking your tank to a place with the infrastructure to store bulk propane and fill empty tanks. If your tank was old enough you would have to replace it yourself.

While there are still places like that around, you can generally go to almost any Home Depot, Lowe's, or even Wal-Mart to swap your tank for a full one.

The EV industry needs to learn what the "propane and propane accessories" industry learned years ago.
Do you know why that system works for a grill and not a car? Because all the tanks are the same and they aren't a structural piece of the grill itself.
 

Heliian

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propane and propane accessories" industry
Sure, if you want to pay more for the convenience.

Battery swapping is great for 247 fleet operations but I would prefer just to charge at home.

As with most things, there is never a one size fits all solution, more options are better.
 

Calvin H-C

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Do you know why that system works for a grill and not a car? Because all the tanks are the same and they aren't a structural piece of the grill itself.
This is currently true, but does it have to be? I'm not saying it does or doesn't, I'm just putting out the question out of curiosity.

Certainly a one-size option is not possible since vehicles come in different sizes and shapes, but is it feasible to design a modular battery system that could be adopted for different vehicle models and manufacturers? Forget for a moment the issue of who may or may not sign on to it, that's a whole other can of worms.
 

Pioneer74

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This is currently true, but does it have to be? I'm not saying it does or doesn't, I'm just putting out the question out of curiosity.

Certainly a one-size option is not possible since vehicles come in different sizes and shapes, but is it feasible to design a modular battery system that could be adopted for different vehicle models and manufacturers? Forget for a moment the issue of who may or may not sign on to it, that's a whole other can of worms.
Most vehicles are going to a structural battery design. You can't replace the battery without disassembly of the vehicle itself.

Unless every vehicle manufacturer agrees to a standard battery size, chemistry and assembly specs, this system won't work. You can't even get consensus on a charge port location. Not to mention the fact that your going to run into problems with stripped fasteners and road debris on the underside of the vehicle that automation can't work around.

I just don't see this happening. I do like the idea of leasing the battery. That would negate having to scrap the vehicle because it's too expensive to fix it.
 

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Maquis

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I would‘n’t do a battery swap for the same reason I don’t swap my propane tanks. There’s a chance you’ll get a piece of junk, and the tanks are not completely filled.
 


 


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