Scooter battery swapping stations are fast becoming a common sight in Asian countries, including Taiwan, Singapore and others. And it is no surprise this is happening, as electric scooters seize a large part of the personal transport market. Scooter battery exchange makes a deal of sense, given their short driving range. But could battery swapping work for electric cars too? We investigate.
How Battery Swapping Works for Electric Scooters
Electric scooters are a form of lightweight, compact electric transport that’s ideal for quick battery exchanges. The batteries are also small and easy to handle. In fact we’ve heard some operators don’t have to be there in person, if they have automatic battery dispensers.
This changes the battery-driving-range paradigm, assuming there are sufficient swapping stations available. We have not heard of equivalent electric motorcycle battery swapping stations yet. Although we expect these will start popping up once the idea catches on.
But could battery swapping work for electric cars too? This is an interesting question, given their battery-driving ranges drop sharply during cold winter weather, and drivers do need a solution.
The Pros and Cons of EV Battery Swapping
The video you just watched dates back ten years or more, when Elon Musk was fishing for customers for his Tesla Model S. He claimed he could swap out the battery in less time than it took to fill a car with gasoline. However, it seems Musk subsequently dropped the idea in favor of high speed fast chargers.
Electric scooter batteries are standardized, we imagine, because otherwise their vast range would make scooter battery exchange impractical. Electric cars, on the other hand, use a variety of battery types, and sizes across the range.
Those batteries are also large and cumbersome by comparison, and appear ‘semi-built-in’ from what we have seen. Therefore, it’s not only drivers who might have to change their mindsets. EV manufacturers would also have to make changes for electric car battery swapping to become feasible.
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