EV’s Big Problem Solved…

For all the talk about self-driving cars and robotaxis, there's a bigger problem the EV makers need to solve. Without it. EV adoption dies. The good news is, the solution is relatively simple...

Electric vehicles (EVs) have one big problem.

They are not like internal combustion engine cars.

Yes, they have four wheels… and a steering wheel.

And they carry passengers.

But they’re different in one important way. And that’s in the matter of ‘refuelling’ (or recharging).

Until the car companies and entrepreneurs resolve that difference, EVs can’t possibly replace petrol-powered cars.

We’ll explain more below…

An oft-quoted example of innovation, and transition from one technology to another is the motor car.

Specifically, how the world adapted to the change from horse and cart, and horse and carriage, the car, and busses and trams.

But what analogy can we use for the transition from petrol-powered to battery-powered cars?

Does the horse-to-car analogy still hold?

Oddly, in a way it does… but in reverse.

When it came to ‘refuelling’ horse transport, there were two options.

The carriage driver would change horses at a staging post. Or they would rest for the night and continue with the same horses the next day.

When cars took over, the driver would refuel at a petrol station and be on their way. Much quicker.

That changed the function of ‘refuelling’ — from a place where people needed accommodation and meals… to where people didn’t necessarily need accommodation, but still needed food.

(Motels kind of filled something of a gap for a while, but became less necessary over time — mostly due to the rise of air travel.)

But what about EVs? EV refuelling can be measured in hours rather than seconds. So does that mean we’re about to return to days of staging posts and inns, where folks have to wait overnight for ‘refuelling’?

As things stand, it looks like it’s heading that way. But, it doesn’t have to.

Because the old ‘horse-style’ system, wouldn’t be convenient. That’s obvious. And it’s not viable in situations where the driver doesn’t have the luxury of waiting two or three hours before resuming their journey.

In a world where folks require same-day delivery or need to be somewhere ASAP, a 2-3 hour refuelling ‘layover’ won’t cut it.

So is there another option?

Yes, there is…

Or rather, there should be. And it should be easy for EV manufacturers to develop.

It just requires a level of cooperation between several of the EV makers to create a ‘swappable’ battery unit.

Sound fanciful?

It shouldn’t. Tesla and Elon Musk proved the concept 11 years ago. But it has gone nowhere.

Musk shows the audience a comparison between petrol refuelling and replacing the full battery in a Tesla.

But there could be variations to this set-up. For instance, EVs could be manufactured with – say – an 80/20 or 70/30 battery set-up.

That is with two (or more) separate battery units, that can be replaced individually, without needing to replace the car’s entire battery.

It could have a primary battery, designed to be unremovable, and a secondary battery designed for replacement. This could be located at an easily accessible position in the car… say… at the front, where the engine is on internal combustion engine cars.

It wouldn’t be absolutely necessary for a homogenous replaceable battery, but it would make sense for EV car makers to cooperate.

Of course, the ‘swap stations’ wouldn’t do this for free.

How would they make money? Well, we’re sure the market would figure it out.

But given the trend over the past 20 years toward subscription models, we could imagine a world of various subscription levels.

One battery change per week for $X. Two changes per week for $Y. Three changes for $Z, and so on.

Also remember that lithium batteries are recyclable. So it’s not like petrol stations right now, where they sell a non-recyclable product.

And yes, charging stations would still be available for those who don’t need a quick turnaround refuel.

If the EV makers can figure this out, EV adoption will go to 100% in a snap.

Without it, the transition will take forever, and perhaps may never happen.

That’s our two cents.

We look forward to seeing you back here tomorrow.

Kris Sayce
Editor, Crack of Doom

Issue 50 of 10,000

(We believe in the importance of setting goals. And we figure what better way than to set a big goal from the beginning. If all goes to plan, our final issue of Crack of Doom will be sometime in the 2060’s!)

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