Marcus Reddish wrote:
The only way for Tesla to "test" your battery's capacity is to drain it
completely (as the power source for the supercharge station filling other
owner's batteries (or supplying the grid). And then charge it full while
measuring capacity.
That would be the only way to prove the battery's capacity. But there
are lots of methods (of arguable accuracy) to estimate a battery's capacity.
So Tesla becomes more of an energy company than a car manufacturer. They
become Exxon AND Ford.
Many years ago, Henry Ford set out to buy an oil company. The Justice
Dept. quickly slapped him down. Ford reportedly said, "If I could own
the gas stations, I'd *give away* the cars!"
What about other manufacturer's? Will Ford or GM develop similar systems?
They will do whatever makes money. :-)
Jay Summet wrote:
a battery leasing program could also work well for Tesla and pack
swapping.
Battery swapping has always been an attractive idea. It has worked in
many situations where there is a fleet of EVs, all owned and maintained
by the same organization.
Another useful feature is that compared to gasoline, electricity is
almost free. People are used to paying $50 to fill up their ICE. They
will think that paying $40 to swap their dead pack for a full one is a
"bargain"!
But as soon as different people own the vehicles and batteries,
competition sets in. Each wants to pay as little as possible and shift
the cost to the other guy. Neither one wants to maintain the batteries.
The EV owner thinks, "My pack is getting old and tired. I'll swap it for
a new one for next to nothing, and let the battery swapper eat the
cost." The battery swapper thinks, "This pack is old and tired; but I'll
still send it out at full cost; the customer won't know the difference."
It can turn into a pickpocket's convention, where each side thinks he's
cheating the other.
--
If you would not be forgotten
When your body's dead and rotten
Then write of great deeds worth the reading
Or do these great deeds, worth repeating.
-- Ben Franklin, from Poor Richard's Almanac
--
Lee A. Hart, http://www.sunrise-ev.com/LeesEVs.htm
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