7 comments

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  Lazy Man and Money

  1 year ago

  What if the recharging stations just swapped out your battery with another, already-charged battery? You'd be up and going instantly again.
  
  The idea isn't without it's own problems... what if an already-charged battery isn't available (you need extra just sitting around in case)? What about if I bring a new battery which stores energy well and receive one that's near the end of it's life?
  
  I think there could be answers to these questions... but it's something to think about.
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  Sergey V.

  1 year ago

  Just because the margins on electricity are so low, it doesn't mean that the infrastructure wouldn't be made available.
  
  If you think about it, North America is already dotted with gas stations all over the place. Pretty much all of those are hooked into the electrical grid. All you would need is a couple of metered sockets, and you're good to go - your gas station is now an electricity re-charging station.
  
  Swapping batteries might be good for a laptop, but swapping a 200lbs NiMH car battery doesn't sounds like my idea of a quick stop-over.
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  Lazy Man and Money

  1 year ago

  I'm sure a tool (think robot arm) could be made to pull a 200lb battery in and out very quickly and easily.
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  WealthBoy

  1 year ago

  There wouldn't be enough profit for gas stations to convert to recharging stations. If it only costs pennies to recharge, the stations would not be able to make enough money to cover overhead expenses. For a time they would be able to provide both fuel and recharging, but eventually when demand for fuel disappears they would go out of business. I still think the government would have to provide this service just as it provides other transportation services now (roads, traffic signals, etc).
  
  Performing battery-swaps is an interesting alternative. It probably could be profitable, but it could be a bit tricky logistically. There would have to be standards around battery sizes, performance specs, etc. The process of performing the swap would have to be quick, convenient, and reasonably priced.
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  Jack

  1 year ago

  I get your point about the low-margins, but here in the U.K. at least, the margin on gas is only a few pence at best anyway. They actually make most of the money from selling candybars, washer fluid etc. Besides which, a low cost product does not necessarily entail low margins - look at gift cards for example. They cost pennies to make, and are sold at a 5-fold mark-up - yet people still buy them. As long as they can sell electricity cheaper than gas, then people will be able to make a profit easily.
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• 

  WealthBoy

  1 year ago

  @Jack
  
  To be honest, I'm not sure the margins are like on gasoline at service stations in the States. But now that you mention it, I think you're probably right. Even if gasoline has a high profit margin of say 20% here and a typical fill-up costs $60, that would be $12 of profit per tank. Paying $12 plus the cost of the electricity would still put the cost of a full recharge well below the $60 it would cost to fill a tank with gas. The cost of inventory will be much less than with fuel, so the margins could potentially be a lot higher.
  
  Perhaps the biggest problem that existing service stations would face, is "competition" from people recharging at home. The majority of their business would likely come from highway travelers, and stations within cities might lose a lot of business. It will also open up new markets as well, such as hotels offering vehicle recharging services to their guests. Maybe it will be something offered in many parking lots. Going to the mall or grocery store? Why not pay a couple of bucks to have a "full tank" when you're done shopping!
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• 

  Wheels for Volvo

  4 months ago

  Even though the conversion will cost that much, I think it will be paid for some
  time and won't be taking that long. The benefits are great and people will be
  cool with this.
  reply