Removable / swappable pack options?

[Larry Chanin]

I counted about 26.

Hi,

No doubt there are 26 or more bolts as part of the battery assembly, but it doesn't seem reasonable that Tesla would be able to make claims of 2 to 5 minute swapping if 26 bolts were used to attach the battery pack to the chassis.

Larry

 

[Mycroft]

When it's on a lift, it would probably take about 1 minute to remove 26 bolts.

 

[Larry Chanin]

When it's on a lift, it would probably take about 1 minute to remove 26 bolts.

An average of 2.3 seconds per bolt?

Larry

 

[richkae]

I think the whole battery swap discussion is pointless.
I dont want it - I'll never use it.
I want to own my battery and not lease it - since I own it, I am not interested in swapping it with anyone.

If I have the choice of a 45 minute quick charge stop or a 5 minute battery swap stop - I choose charging. With a 300(320!) mile range battery, I am not going to do that very often anyway.
If I drove 500 miles every day, I would reconsider, but I plan to do it a few times per year and owning *my* battery is more important to me.

 

[richkae]

I also expect, that even if someone put in battery swap stations, there will always be an order of magnitude more charging locations because they are so much cheaper to install and operate.
Therefore they will always be in more convenient locations.

 

[qwk]

An average of 2.3 seconds per bolt?

Larry

There is such a thing as air tools...

 

[Mycroft]

I agree richkae. I don't think it would ever become economically viable. We'll have high power DC charging and maybe even ultra-caps before that would happen.

 

[Doug_G]

I was told at the factory tour that the pack installation machine simultaneously undoes all 26 bolts by itself.

 

[NigelM]

I was told at the factory tour that the pack installation machine simultaneously attaches all 26 bolts by itself.

 

[Doug_G]

Uh yeah... removes AND installs the bolts by itself.

 

[Waverider]

I was told by one of the floor employees at the Santana Row store that battery swapping like BetterPlace was not realistic and Tesla was not moving in that dirction. The battery can be replaced, say in 5 years to get "a new car." Not sure how much I'd read into this because the floor people didn't seem to know a whole lot because "they're too close to the public."

 

[Larry Chanin]

Exclusive Interview: Elon Musk Shows Cool Confidence About Tesla's Future

More than 300 Miles?

Tesla is, indeed, looking east. In October, it announced a new battery partnership with Panasonic to purchase cells for up to 80,000 Model S cars through 2015. “They’ve been a partner with us for a while, and this is a big deal because these cells are optimized for the Model S. We think small cells are better than large, and with these batteries we’re confident we’ll exceed 300 miles of range [as announced for the first 1,000 cars, which will be called Signature models]. I think we’ll get to at least 310 miles, maybe 320, measured by the current EPA test procedure.”

Obviously, a battery EV with 320-mile range is unprecedented. If Tesla does deliver that, it will cement its reputation as the go-to company to provide state-of-the-art battery consulting for the nation’s OEM automakers.

JB Straubel, Tesla’s chief technical officer, told me that even longer range was possible. “We didn’t fill up the entire space with batteries,” he said. “We think that 300-mile range is a sweet spot.” Although the Model S will have swappable batteries, the company isn’t likely to capitalize on that ability in the short term—and hasn’t invested in an infrastructure (swap stations) that would make it practical. “But in any case it’s helpful to be able to remove the batteries quickly—it’s a 30-minute operation,” Straubel said.

Larry

 

[VolkerP]

is there a thread dedicated to Project Better Place? The success of roll out in Israel+ Denmark surely will feed the fearmongers in one or other way - I'd like to stay informed.

 

[TEG]

is there a thread dedicated to Project Better Place?

Project Better Place

 

[TEG]

Although Tesla seems to be downplaying the idea of doing pack swaps, I just noticed this:

Range Anxiety and the Fear of the Electric Vehicle - CarsDirect.com

...Tesla Motors, an electric car manufacturer in San Carlos, California, has been working on ways to solve the problem of range anxiety since 2008. One of the alternatives they are working on is the swapping of battery packs. A spokesperson for Tesla has said that the procedure would be performed mechanically and it would be faster than filling your car with gasoline at the local service station...

 

[Mycroft]

They're downplaying it because they know what an idiotic and financially unsound idea it is. Yet reporters keep asking about it.

 

[Kipernicus]

That seems like a very old article. Tesla hasn't referred to themselves as a San Carlos company for several years now right?

 

[dsm363]

Since another sticky was added, does this still need to be one?