Ok, reading Clarksons review of the Tesla Roadster, despite his huge gaffes, does bring up the main bugbear for EVs - the recharge time. I mooted a solution yeaaars ago, and it is this:
Make the batteries removable. Drive into garage, pull batteries out, plug in new set already charged up. You "lease" standard size batteries - think of lab gear, 4 butterfly nuts and handles each side, it slides in/out. Bigger cars take 2,3,4 units. Too heavy? Have automated swapping stations in garage. No 16-hour recharge - just swap in minutes, just like refueling.
It would be possible to have half the batteries "built-in" to the frame, and half the capacity swappable like this. For instance the Roadster Mk-2 might have 100 miles of charge from the "built-in" batteries, and 3 swapable 30-mile packs. The size/electronics of the battery should be universal, patent-free - all EVs should be able to interchange packs. Depending on how much you pay for the "lease" you could swap NiMh, Lithium-ion, even lead-acid- the computers would sense the type automatically and act accordingly. You could even just carry a spare in the boot, if you really need. Garages can implement these recharge/swap stations alongside existing infrastructure, and still have a money making business leasing/charging the removable packs. Everyone is happy.
If you are making short trips, you would probably just recharge at home/work - you only need the swap stations for those longer trips.
Elon? Are you reading this?
Make the batteries removable. Drive into garage, pull batteries out, plug in new set already charged up. You "lease" standard size batteries - think of lab gear, 4 butterfly nuts and handles each side, it slides in/out. Bigger cars take 2,3,4 units. Too heavy? Have automated swapping stations in garage. No 16-hour recharge - just swap in minutes, just like refueling.
It would be possible to have half the batteries "built-in" to the frame, and half the capacity swappable like this. For instance the Roadster Mk-2 might have 100 miles of charge from the "built-in" batteries, and 3 swapable 30-mile packs. The size/electronics of the battery should be universal, patent-free - all EVs should be able to interchange packs. Depending on how much you pay for the "lease" you could swap NiMh, Lithium-ion, even lead-acid- the computers would sense the type automatically and act accordingly. You could even just carry a spare in the boot, if you really need. Garages can implement these recharge/swap stations alongside existing infrastructure, and still have a money making business leasing/charging the removable packs. Everyone is happy.
If you are making short trips, you would probably just recharge at home/work - you only need the swap stations for those longer trips.
Elon? Are you reading this?
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