Better Place Wind Powered Electric Car Charging Stations Coming to Aus

[semaconnect]

Great informative video on this. I lived in Sydney and traveled extensively throughout Australia and definitely know that either using wind powered or solar powered car charging stations would be an ideal fit for Australians.

[cyborgtroy]

Of course, the other problem is that you would have to standardize the battery packs, and electronics are not known for rapid standardization.

[jeffsandychelsea]

@cyborgtroy Well, we certainly standardized gasoline octane levels didn't we? Didn't all the engines have to be engineered to handle a certain octane level? It seems much harder to do all that than to design a universal shape for a battery pack.

[cyborgtroy]

I really dunno about swapping out batteries.

Battery packs for electric cars are huge and expensive, it just seems like something will go horribly wrong in the swapping process.

[jeffsandychelsea]

@cyborgtroy lots of *explosive* things can go wrong when you fill up with gasoline, too.

[cyborgtroy]

I mean something like getting a battery pack that's been heavily used and is on its last leg.

Or like when you try to get a drink from a vending machine, and it tips over and the machine grabs it so it can't drop. (Damn gravity-fed machines)

[XxSTICH666xX]

That battery replacement system just wouldn't work unless all EV manufacturers agreed to make the same design for detaching the battery. This would also be too expensive to operate unless the batteries used could be recharged an infinite amount of times. That charging station is a good idea as it was implemented a hundred years ago in New York city back when EVs were common.

[Zamboro]

@XxSTICH666xX

They already have agreed. Tesla, Nissan and Renault are all using the same battery pack, and Chevy is in negotiations to use it as well. The first Tesla car to use the swappable pack will be the Model S and the first Renault car will be the Fluence. Nissan's 2nd generation Leaf will have it, and the 2nd gen Volt will too.

[tsport100]

@Zamboro Provide a link to the press release you got that info from?

[Zamboro]

@tsport100

I didn't get it from a press release, I looked up the various car specifications myself. Google the Tesla Model S. You'll see that it has a better place compatible battery pack. Then google Renault's new line of EVs; the Fluence, the ZOE and the Kangoo all use the Better Place pack. Then google "Nissan-Renault alliance" for info on future Nissan EVs using the Better Place pack. On top of that, Ford just announced it will build a new EV with Tesla, which may also use the standard.

[tsport100]

@Zamboro What planet are you from.... Ford and Tesla announced what? LOL

All the rest you're also incorrect about..... There are some Nissan Ev Taxi's TRIALLING the system in Japan... other than that no-one but Better Place have committed to that business model.

[RetroGamerr1991]

@Zamboro Lets just hope we can get Renault in the US by then.

[Zamboro]

@XxSTICH666xX

The batteries would only need to last an infinite number of charging cycles if they cost an infinite amount of money. Since they have a finite price (around $10,000) it's possible to work out a per-mile fee for drivers who use them which gradually pays off the price of the battery over it's useful lifespan.

[darkyannouche]

A renault laguna looks a little to heavy for this type of application, more particulary for a city use. But it's probably just a demo, I hope the final car be more light to increase the autonomy. The same project should be realized too in Israel.