VIDEO: Project Better Place demonstrates EV battery swap station

[MetroMPG]

The company says they can speed it up, and had it down to under a minute in their own tests.

TomEV: I wish you'd take some time to consider your position before spouting off on this subject. Just kidding.

I agree with many of your points. But what are the upsides?

One upside is that this company has perhaps singlehandedly caused more governments to seriously get behind vehicle electrification than any other.

[Ryland]

running your EV dead is even harder to do then running your car out of gas, if you don't notice your gauge says you are running low on charge then you should notice that you are slowing own and at that point you slow down! find a place to charge and plug in.
My battery gauge will even let you select a "gas gauge" display that shows a bar graph with an F and an E on it...

[TomEV]

While I am happy to see them bring EVs and EV infrastructure to the attention of government, I have concerns about their motives, and that we may be trading one foreign controlled resource (oil) for another (ability to charge an EV).

These charging systems will be controlled via a network. What happens if (most likely when) Better Place decides to sell its interest in the chargers to company X. Company X may decide that some other form of infrastructure is better for its profit, and remove the proprietary charging stations from use and crush them.

Easier still, company X could simply turn off the billing network, rendering the charging stations in public places (and YOUR garage) inoperative.

If company X were controlled by a foreign government, and that government decided that its policies were contrary to those of the West, would they turn off the networked plugs just to prove some point, twist some political arm? Better Place (now advertised as being a 'California Company') has foreign origins. Who controls the puppet strings?

On a smaller scale, suppose Better Place somehow missed your equipment lease payment or monthly billing for electricity. Would they just turn off your charging station until the error was resolved?

Since these are networked devices, is an EV Charging Denial of Service attack in our future?

There is a great amount of group think associated with the Better Place business model. This group think has extended to local governments and causes them to miss the alternative to proprietary plugs and privatized billing systems as if nothing else exists. You and I are proof that commonly available systems are already available to charge electric vehicles as we plug in our cars every day. Extending the electric grid a few extra feet and installing a cheapo plug is not rocket science.

We don't need to spend big bucks on a ten dollar solution.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Ryland

running your EV dead is even harder to do then running your car out of gas, if you don't notice your gauge says you are running low on charge then you should notice that you are slowing down.

True for lead acid chemistry, but none of the new EV's will be lead sleds. And from what I understand, lithium (for example) gives full performance throughout its charge, then suddenly falls on its face at the end.

[The Atomic Ass]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

True for lead acid chemistry, but none of the new EV's will be lead sleds. And from what I understand, lithium (for example) gives full performance throughout its charge, then suddenly falls on its face at the end.

The battery might, but the controller doesn't have to. *hinthint*

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Nice little workout too - each batt weighs ~65 lbs. I swapped 16 of them, for ~1040 lbs

Where's a forklift when you need one?