Fun fact: battery swapping was first offered in 1910.
“What is the probability that the post will refer to Taiwan?” – me, before opening the link :)
Yep, they have figured things out over there. :) Getting it right requires overcoming some obstacles, though:
- standardization
- modularization (if the vehicle needs more power, it has more than one battery of the same type)
- a future-proof control / ownership scheme
Standards do not emerge easily unless some player on the market is capable of achieving monopoly (a bad thing) and creating a de facto standard. Typically, to create a standard, an association of manufacturers is needed. Sometimes, a state or municipal body may also have to step in. For consumers to join the system, there must be some level of guarantee that the standard won’t be temporary fad.
If the obstacles can be overcome, benefit for society is tangible and considerable. People will save time that would otherwise be spent waiting, and batteries can be slow-charged, prolonging their lifetime.
About the Taiwanese scheme, one can read here. They have a vertically integrated system where the same company provides charging places, batteries and scooters, and provides tehcnology to other scooter manufacturers so they can make compatible scooters. It has a market share of 33% so it’s not a monopoly, but a big player. Their system is not perfect, there is room for improvement, but it’s reasonably good in my opinion. :)