While the swapping idea will work, it's by far the most expensive way to go. Where exactly are you going to get an extra car/battery? Even if you found a car to use, I doubt the owner will let you swap packs like it's no big deal.
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BTW, production pack connections look nothing like the above pic.
Might be a more expensive way, the potential time saving recharging on the fly might offset cost.
As far as obtaining extra battery packs, that will have to be answered when we talk to Tesla.
The owner is fine with it as long as we do no harm to his daily driver. Which every attempt will be made to prevent any damage to the vehicle. A though understanding of swapping, charging, and procedure before just hacking apart his Tesla.
Unfortunately only Tesla knows how to charge a battery outside of the car. I don't think you just hook up a standard charger to it. It doesn't just have a positive and negative terminal, there must be a connection to the computers in the battery that monitor and control all the cells. Any external charger would need to know how to communicate through that interface. Is it compatible with the SAE DC standard? Only Tesla knows.
I agree, there will be bus lugs and data connection to the BCM and chargers that will have to be figured out. Since Tesla removes the individual safety features on individual cells and the safety features are integrated into the whole pack. We will have to make sure that system is taken care of also...
If it was going to be easy, any tom, dick, and henry could do it.. The greater the hurdles and obstacles the greater the potential rewards..
To me even if we beat the record by an half hour, it will be worth it. 84.5 hours for and EV and Alex Roy's time 31 hours and 4 minutes in an ICE is a lot of time difference..
Since Jeb know Alex Roy, Richard Rawlings and Dennis Collins he will probably get route information from them. This will help shave some time off also.
As of right now all the members of this attempt are veteran rally participants. With many years of road rally experience from Bullrun, Gumball 3000 and Snoball 500. This allows us bring those skills to this event (navigation, fuel management, leo negotiations, endurance driving, high speed driving). With my offroad experience thrown in there to do planning, logistics, electrical knowledge, and using alternate offroad routes. I was able to take the 3 ton pig and secure a 12th finish during this years Bullrun. By using fuel management, off the road routes, and creative quick fueling of the Raptor.. The team so far is well rounded to make it happen and break the record..
Originally, I purposed taking the Tesla on 2014 Bullrun. It was decided that due to the pace of the Bullrun there would no way to keep up and keep the batteries recharged.. Since Jeb is considering making this his last rally, he wants to go for a cross country record..
