Tesla announces 90-second automated Model S battery swap coming this year

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:02 am

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/06/2 ... -stations/

Pugsley · Post by **Pugsley** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 10:41 am

Sounds neat. I had the ideal to design batteries to have replaceable electrolyte. You would simply pull up to the "pump" and plug it in and it would exchange the electrolyte on the spot with fresh "charged" electrolyte. The old discharged electrolyte can them be processed and charged and sent to a tank to await the next car that comes in.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:47 pm

EvilHorace · Post by **EvilHorace** » Sun Jun 23, 2013 8:21 pm

Pugsley wrote:Sounds neat. I had the ideal to design batteries to have replaceable electrolyte. You would simply pull up to the "pump" and plug it in and it would exchange the electrolyte on the spot with fresh "charged" electrolyte. The old discharged electrolyte can them be processed and charged and sent to a tank to await the next car that comes in.

Auto batteries don't fail because the electrolyte gets weak.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sun Jun 23, 2013 8:38 pm

I wish they had a camera in the bay under the car in that video. I'd like to see how the robot replaces the battery.

b-man1 · Post by **b-man1** » Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:10 pm

if this takes off, i wonder what the overall logistics would be. how many batteries will a charging station have? does it charge them onsite, or are they delivered charged and replaced once the station is "empty"? since you are replacing the battery in the car, possibly frequently, does that remove the battery from the overall warranty and make it a commodity item? if i have a failing battery, then i can just go do a swap and let some other poor sucker get it instead? ok, i doubt that one, as i'm sure there would be diagnostics done and alerting prior to that...but who knows.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:27 pm

Actually, according to the article, YOUR battery is still the original and that's the one with the warranty. You are merely "borrowing" a battery. You have to eventually come back and claim your original battery, and yes they'll charge it for you.