Personally, if it's a "range extender" battery and not the main unit, I'll take a non-rechargeable battery where the aluminum can be recycled later, 100x over an ICE. I get EV driving dynamics and incredible range, without contributing to pollution.
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What is Tesla's upcoming 'under your nose' announcement?
- Thread starter yobigd20
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- Tesla Inc.
Personally, if it's a "range extender" battery and not the main unit, I'll take a non-rechargeable battery where the aluminum can be recycled later, 100x over an ICE. I get EV driving dynamics and incredible range, without contributing to pollution.
jeff_adams
Member
A lot of good uses for that tech. You could trickle charge your main pack at night with it. Say you drive home at night and your power is down. Or maybe you go camping where there is no power. Vacation, you do a road trip and the supercharger is out of order. It would be like having an extra can of gas for your ICE. Even Broder couldn't get stranded....
Non-rechargable by the consumer. The idea is that you only install them when you are going to require the extra range. (Sure could have used them on last week's trip to Nebraska.)
Kraken
Member
There has been discussion in several threads about the rechargeability of metal air batteries... Looking through Tesla's patents, they clearly have made an effort to crete a means for users to charge metal air batteries at home.
Such modules would be a much bigger thing than only an EV range extender. They could/should/would replace smallish ICE generators.
jeff_adams
Member
I don't think this tech is ready. I was hoping, but the way Elon answered the first question at the shareholder's meeting leads me to believe that the Air-Metal is not in the cards right now
deonb
Active Member
I was thinking of the same thing, but you can apply that logic to any of our 3 feasibilities that we came up with. But we know it has to be one of them (or something similar). So his answer was a sandbag, no matter what. I don't see how it particularly eliminates al-air over either battery-exchange or superfast-recharge.
jeff_adams
Member
Because if the auxiliary battery was ready, it could easily be used to charge up the main pack over night. Basically like a generator. Elon acted like that wasn't possible with his answer to her. He would have to be sandbagging BIG TIME with that answer. He would have at least given her a glimmer of hope with a hint of future tech.
deonb
Active Member
Only (user-)rechargable auxiliary battery would be different. Non-rechargable would be in the same boat as SuperCharger & Battery Exchange. You have to go somewhere for 5 to 20 minutes to get a charge/swap.
But interestingly, even though he addressed kevin99's question, he did not answer the Lady by saying: "Just wait for June 20th". Which could mean the June 20th solution is still a road-trip-only solution.
However, if it is, then his "anywhere in the country" part of his original tweet is wrong.
So either "anywhere in the country" is wrong, or he was sandbagging the lady's question.
jeff_adams
Member
I don't think so. Superchargers are not in the city. Why would he tell her to drive to Gilroy or Folsum from San Francisco for a charge? She's going to be low on juice when she gets back. His "anywhere in the country" was talking about traveling.
deonb
Active Member
Yeah, I can't dispute that. If you look at the proposed SuperCharger locations, with 98% coverage you can certainly argue 'anywhere in the country'. I would think anywhere in the country is more like something you get at a gas station. The Al-air exchange is the only thing close to fitting that.
But the SuperCharger locations would slip by on that definition as well. And especially since Elon redacted himself when he initially said worldwide, it would make for a SuperCharger co-location argument.
On the other hand, maybe it's not relevant. He made it very clear that he thinks that the gas station experience sucks, and one of the best aspects of an EV is that you can charge at home. So even if something like an Al-air exchange program was created and he gets Chevron & BP to sign up and distribute it everywhere, he may still not see it as a good solution for apartment dwellers.
jeff_adams
Member
I was leaning towards the Air battery for the demonstration, but his answer to her convinced me. They're not ready with the tech.
deonb
Active Member
Ahh. But the demonstration does not need to mean they're ready with the tech. It could still be 2 to 4 years out, but they're about to sign an agreement with a supplier that will "out" them. (Or maybe make an acquisition). So may as well make the best of it now and make a big deal about it via a demo.
Mayhemm
Model S P85+ "Lola"
While the could technically do this, I don't think it would go over well. People have come to expect announcements to be reserved for ready-to-deploy products/services, not some arbitrary "this will be available at some undisclosed future date" tease.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
The Model X demo, and the first supercharger demo, are both examples of Tesla showing something that isn't exactly ready for deployment. Whatever it is I can see them only having one of them working at a single location.
IMHO, the cubic space between the front wheels is obviously reserved for the AWD option, as shown in the Model X. It is not reserved for any kind of swappable metal-air battery (because the the AWD models wouldn't be able to use that battery).
The truly swappable battery is the current battery pack, because is accessible from the bottom of the car and is linked to the body and chassis with a dozen of bolts. Easy job for an automatic swapping machine (a la Better Place). Anyway, SC will be the main long-trip option. I think the swapping tech. is just a technological demonstration and a way to get the ZEV credits.
The truly swappable battery is the current battery pack, because is accessible from the bottom of the car and is linked to the body and chassis with a dozen of bolts. Easy job for an automatic swapping machine (a la Better Place). Anyway, SC will be the main long-trip option. I think the swapping tech. is just a technological demonstration and a way to get the ZEV credits.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Don't know where it stands but CARB was considering eliminating swapping from getting the fast refuel credit.
Tesla already gets the extra ZEVs for meeting the fast refuel requirement.
CARB staff recommended closing this "loophole" to the board, and it will probably go into effect. But I think it only applies to 2015 and beyond, anyway. As far as credits, I think Tesla is already maxxed on their ZEV benefits. If June 20 is battery swapping, it won't boost ZEV credit sales.
Absolutely no need to signup with Gas Stations.
They could just setup vending machines all over the place to get the Metal-Air Cartiges (like the CocaCola Vending machines) they are quite cheap.
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