Charging Station - Battery Swapping

Battery Swapping

A charging station is different from a battery switch station, which is a place to swap a discharged battery or battery pack for a fully charged one, saving the delay of waiting for the vehicle's battery to charge. Battery swapping is common in warehouses using electric forklift trucks. The companies Better Place, Tesla Motors, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and others are currently working in integrating battery switch technology in their electric vehicles to extend their driving range. Better Place is using the same technology to swap batteries that F-16 jet fighter aircraft use to load their bombs.

In a battery switch station, the driver does not need to get out of the car while the battery is swapped. Better Place's automated battery-switching station (also called Quickdrop Stations) can complete a battery swap in less than one minute, which is faster than refueling a conventional petrol car.

SwapPack, a Texas entity, is developing as of April 2010 a swap arrangement, similar to the swapping out of butane gas tanks at convenience stores, a similar swap at car dealerships and large wholesale big box retailers. These locations will allow drivers the security of making a quick change of battery packs to have a power pack that is totally recharged. As of November 2010 the batteries of existing hybrid/electric cars, i.e. Prius, have not yet expired after a 100,000-mile (160,000 km) duration.

Battery swap depends on at least one electric car designed for "easy swap" of batteries. However, electric vehicle manufacturers that are working on battery switch technology have not standardized on battery access, attachment, dimension, location, or type. Better Place announced the Renault Fluence Z.E. would be the first electric car with a switchable battery available on the Better Place network, also Tesla Motors are integrating one minute battery switch technology in their Model S sedan with the possibility to rent 300-mile (480 km) batteries for longer trips.

Summary of benefits of battery swapping:

• Fast battery swapping of around 59.1 seconds.
• Unlimited driving range where there are battery switch stations available.
• The driver does not have to get out of the car while the battery is swapped.
• The driver does not own the battery in the car, transferring costs over the battery, battery life, maintenance, capital cost, quality, technology, and warranty to the battery switch station company.
• Contract with battery switch company could subsidize the electric vehicle at a price lower than equivalent petrol cars.
• The spare batteries at swap stations could participate in vehicle to grid storage.