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Kardax
Member
That's a good article. Like the author, I don't think car battery swapping will ever be seen in the consumer marketplace, for many reasons.
On the other hand, I do think EV makers will need to figure out some kind of battery swapping solution if they ever want to participate in endurance races. I'd love to see Tesla at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, for example.
I gave that some thought, and I figure that given the constraints of pit stops, it would take several small packs (light enough to be carried by hand) rather than a single large one. The crew would install them individually. They don't even need to be the same size and shape. The challenge is designing a mini-pack that can be essentially "dropped in" and connections to the electric lines and cooling system are done passively. And this needs to be doable very quickly, in less than a minute one would hope...
-Ryan
On the other hand, I do think EV makers will need to figure out some kind of battery swapping solution if they ever want to participate in endurance races. I'd love to see Tesla at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, for example.
I gave that some thought, and I figure that given the constraints of pit stops, it would take several small packs (light enough to be carried by hand) rather than a single large one. The crew would install them individually. They don't even need to be the same size and shape. The challenge is designing a mini-pack that can be essentially "dropped in" and connections to the electric lines and cooling system are done passively. And this needs to be doable very quickly, in less than a minute one would hope...
-Ryan
I agree with his argument except for the fleet concept.
So many people underestimate how many fleets are out there running the same route every day. Of course charging at night works for them but there may be some that want lighter batteries that swap more often or vehicles that run 24/7 and can't charge while drivers sleep.
So many times the writers think only about consumers and forget that there are 1000s of models of EVs in use every day. Easiest to think of are golf carts but there are also NEVs and fork lifts. There are robots, people movers and go-carts http://k1speed.com/
When I'm at Burbank Airport I see the big luggage cars and plane movers plugged in to what must be 440 plugs (the cable looks like a fire hose).
There are quite a lot of trade organizations for a what some writers treat as a "fledgling industry"
http://www.electricdrive.org/
http://www.avere.org/
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/plugin_hybrids_related.html
http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byB/trade/byP/ev/ev.shtml#13951
So many people underestimate how many fleets are out there running the same route every day. Of course charging at night works for them but there may be some that want lighter batteries that swap more often or vehicles that run 24/7 and can't charge while drivers sleep.
So many times the writers think only about consumers and forget that there are 1000s of models of EVs in use every day. Easiest to think of are golf carts but there are also NEVs and fork lifts. There are robots, people movers and go-carts http://k1speed.com/
When I'm at Burbank Airport I see the big luggage cars and plane movers plugged in to what must be 440 plugs (the cable looks like a fire hose).
There are quite a lot of trade organizations for a what some writers treat as a "fledgling industry"
http://www.electricdrive.org/
http://www.avere.org/
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/plugin_hybrids_related.html
http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byB/trade/byP/ev/ev.shtml#13951
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