It's massive, costs $500,000, and is just a prototype; but you're looking at a possible solution for swapping out heavy car batteries from future electric vehicles. Kind of important if you're hoping to take your EV on a trip a bit further than the supermarket or city center without having to stop for a lengthy recharge. This switch station, unveiled in Japan by
Better Place, can swap out a spent battery in less time than it takes to refuel the tank in that baby-killer of a car you hold so precious. These battery swap stations are just part of the enormous infrastructure required to support Better Place's subscription approach to electric vehicles -- infrastructure easily estimated to cost $250 million or so for countries like Israel or Denmark on up to the
$1 Billion already pledged by San Francisco Bay Area mayors. Better Place admits that the swap technology is a work in progress but hopes to have 150,000 charging stations and about 100 battery swap stations deployed in Israel by 2011. Check the video after the break.
posted May 13th 2009 8:10AM
"Why would the oil companies mothball it?" -- Oh, I don't know. Maybe because they did that very thing to the high tech batteries developed for the EV-1? The car had a 160 mile range in the late nineties. Texaco, of all places, bought the battery technology and mothballed it. Last year we had GM engineers talking about the Volt saying, "Oh, you know, battery technology isn't good enough to get the 40 mile range we want." You had 160 miles ten years ago, you dolts. You sold the battery tech to Texaco.
BS. You have to stop listening to the loonies.
The EV1 was a 2 seat car, and there was nothing "advanced" about the batteries. The entire car was basically one big battery. It had a 160 mile range in warm weather locales, i.e. California and Nevada. That's why the car was never brought to the cold weather states. I'd like to see the range hauling a family of 4 w/ luggage through northern Wisconsin in January with the heat cranked.
The Volt is a 4 person sedan, and must be capable of running in all climates w/ a trunk full of luggage. That's why they're shooting for a 40 mile range.
Look, I'd like to see a viable electric vehicle. I believe plug-in hybrids will bridge the gap until something like Better Place's technology gains a foothold. There have been no breakthrough advances in battery technology, no matter what the conspiracy theorists say. Period.
So, that old inventor guy from Who Killed The Electric Car was lying?
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that actually is MY idea of a "cellphoneCAR": http://www.gaetanomarano.it/articles/033cellphoneCAR.html
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Great idea here. However, I can see the battery swap stations becoming extinct with the advance of batteries that allow super-fast charging. I know that day isn't here, maybe not for 15 years, but it will come, and then battery swap stations will be useless. But still, the swap stations will help facilitate the growth of electric cars, which I'm all for.
How fast is superfast? If I'm driving cross country, I don't want to spend more that 5 to 10 minutes at a station. I'd rather drive in, swap a battery, and be on my way.
Sure, there will be charging stations at home, at work, and in public/private parking facilities, but electric vehicles won't survive unless the recharging process can be in-line will filling up a gas tank.
they need to put a safety cover over the hole so future old people dont drive into it... o wait i am going to be one of the future old people... =(
That's all well and good swapping whole batteries out, but what if you only need to partially fill a 1/3 discharged battery to full capacity to make the trip you've planned.
Would you still get charged for a complete battery charge or would they deduct the amount of charge still left in the battery to be replaced from your charge for the replacement battery being installed...and at what price. There could be huge discrepancies between values offered per unit of energy at different locations.
I can't wait to see how all this small print gets resolved. My guess will be over a long time and at Great expense to the average Joe. I'm a cynical ba$tard, I know.
The cost to the consumer is based on miles driven. It makes no difference to Better Place whether you're dropping off a battery at 9% or 90% - you'll be charged for the miles.
maybe people will start stealing batteries instead of catalytic converters now
Noel: I have no arguments with what you've said. I was merely responding to alex's point that "We already have a distribution infrastructure for electricity." We also have a distribution system for water, and when you put the two together, you get hydrogen. It seems silly to dismiss hydrogen because there is "no distribution system" when there really is. That's the only point I was trying to make.
Personally, I'd love a hydrogen powered car. I'd slap enough solar panels on the roof of my house to produce all the hydrogen I needed, fill up at home, and never pay for fuel again (other than the admittedly large initial cost of the solar panels).
Crap. Meant to reply to another thread.
What I really want to hear:
a. How is SF/SJ/OK really gonna pay for their "utopia"? You don't rebuilt a "house" by charging entrance fees. AND rebuilding a "house" isn't cheap. $1 Billion is a lot that could be used to NOT lay off teachers for instance (note, those that are out of it, CA has a budget crisis...).
b. Carbon footprint will likely be EQUAL to making gas cars gets 40+miles/gal. I said GAS cars--and it's PROVEN. Make them smaller, lighter, slower--hmmm, just like all electric/hybrid cars today! Until electric has 15 yr reliability and batteries provide "enough" radial daily mileage (i.e. 350-400miles), it can't beat chemical fuels.
c. BetterPlace: Can your switching station:
1. running reliably after 1000 battery changes a day, 365? i.e., continuously like a Disneyland ride? Even if it's faster than a pump fill up, a gas station sees what, hundreds of fill ups per day and can stay in operation for years.
2. have good security for all those expensive batteries in storage? I see some disappearing.
3. handle refilling voluming of lets say Memorial Day (or Earth Day in SF)?
4. operate with the efficiency of 1 person independently? (if they're networked, a NOC/datacenter is involved).
5. Is it easy to repair a 'broken' station?
This smells like web 3.0. If my electric car can get 300miles/charge, I only need this type of infrastructure when I travel long distances, which then I should use public transportation (air/train/gas auto) which is more efficient than the proposed infrastructure. AND what I really need in the end is not charging stations, BUT a smart energy grid and inductive technology in my driveway and workplace.
I used to think battery switching stations make sense, but with 200mile/charge Telsas, the smart grid makes more sense instead now. And really, switching stations in SF is typical lazy liberal thinking. Yes, liberals CAN want to be lazy.
b. Carbon footprint will likely be EQUAL to making gas cars gets 40+miles/gal.
A dubious claim at best. This tech is here today. But regardless: do you want to continue to send billions of dollars each month to countries that are not our friends? There are so many more reasons not to use gasoline cars. Reducing oil dependency is the probably best.
c. BetterPlace: Can your switching station:
1. running reliably after 1000 battery changes a day, 365? i.e., continuously like a Disneyland ride? Even if it's faster than a pump fill up, a gas station sees what, hundreds of fill ups per day and can stay in operation for years.
Yes. The mechanics are extremely simple (essentially lift/lower/move). Much more than a Disney ride I would say.
2. have good security for all those expensive batteries in storage? I see some disappearing.
No way. Sliding door only opens to the underground vault when EV is above station. Also batteries are quite heavy. Most important - no one would have any interest in stealing them (due to Better Place business model).
3. handle refilling voluming of lets say Memorial Day (or Earth Day in SF)?
Easily. There are enough batteries (12) to make sure, that the last one in is fully charged, before the others are spent. It could - in theory - service an unending number of cars.
4. operate with the efficiency of 1 person independently? (if they're networked, a NOC/datacenter is involved).
No operator required. Its fully automatic. You do nothing except park your car. wait for 40 sec. and drive off.
5. Is it easy to repair a 'broken' station?
Things break. Machines inside the station is a very simple lift/lower/move system. car mechanic is certainly more challanged. And at a gas station you have to deal poisionous, highly flamable liquids, when something goes wrong. remeber there would mostly be more than one of these at each station.
This is a very well thought out concept. Cheap shots will not scratch the surface. There are of course problems and questions that I put to Shai Agasi at the presentation, but since this tech deserves a boost I will leave that to better informed critics to come up with themselves. LOL!
this company's gonna be screwed when the transporter comes out
I was at presentation in Yokohama. This tech works - and it works well. Better Place has a winning concept that is well thought out and very flexible. Problem is that for the car industry the profit magin of an electrical car is much smaller than for a gasolin car. So they will do much to avoid having electrical as the new propulsion... Shai Agasi was asked about this by a sharp journalist (they do exist!). He clearly was ready for this question about getting the car manufactures to accept producing EVs. His answer: The Chinese are encouraging the intro of electrical cars in China with a 9.000 USD subsidy. China want an electircal car industry - and will "junp the gasoline age. If you are a car maker - do you want to wait while the Chinese move ahead? LOL! Time will tell if we will all be driving Chinese cars ten years from now. Why do Denmark & Isreal have nation wide charge systems by 2011? No carindustries in those two countries! Last tidbit, the machine is faster than the video shows. A "real" change only takes 40 sec.