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Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



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  #16  
Old 9 Sep 2020
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Location: Tartu, Estonia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JMo (& piglet) View Post
Therefore, if you could have essentially a vending machine in every petrol station with a bank of ready-charged universal size batteries - particularly a size suited for motorcycle/scooter sized vehicles - you could then swap them in less time than it takes to fill a tank with fuel.
That's what Gogoro is doing in Taiwan. Banks of swappable electric scooter batteries on the streets of Taipei, like vending machines. As ever, the future is here but not evenly distributed.

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  #17  
Old 9 Sep 2020
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: opelousas la
Posts: 74
Remember leaded fuel? Everyone said no one would want to get unleaded, it made the engines ping. The law said one pump at each station, engines were redesigned, today finding Bigfoot is easier than finding leaded gas. Bikes/cars that can carry more than one battery, more powerful batteries, and other changes that my weak old mind can't imagine will take over and gas bikes will be as unusual as Model T cars.
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  #18  
Old 9 Sep 2020
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: California
Posts: 880
Quote:
Originally Posted by backofbeyond View Post
I've always been a little uneasy about the battery swap idea. Would I really be happy to hand over the nice, shiny, new (but flat) battery that came with my (pick your own aspirational vehicle) for the scratched, dented and covered in cow dung one that the local farmer dropped off yesterday? And then find it only had a range of 100 miles rather than the 300 I was expecting because it's close to the end of its life. And even worse, then find the next recharge station won't take it without a 'surcharge' as it falls below their 'quality standards'.

I know they do it with bottles of propane / acetylene etc but with those it's fairly easy to tell if it's leaking or filled with the wrong stuff or whatever. I can see even the most regulated version of the battery exchange idea being fraught with "Del Boy' levels of sharp practice. At least with petrol what you're getting is - for the most part anyway - what you're expecting, and even if it isn't the cost of a tankful of fuel is a very small part of the value of the vehicle. You can afford to dump it and buy a new batch in extremis. Not so with batteries.

Just my view of human nature I suppose
I think you're worrying needless there Back' - the whole point of the battery swap is you never own a battery in the first place - it's just like a tank of petrol. You buy your bike, the dealer has a bank of batteries and puts one in the bike before you ride away... when it runs out, you stop at a 'petrol' station and swap it for a fully charged one, just like you would fill up with liquid fuel - ad infinitum.

I appreciate that the more charge-cycles a battery has the less charge they may or may not hold, but it's not beyond the current charger technology to monitor the 'health' of a battery, and no longer offer it for rent if it doesn't meet a preset threshold.

As Jay has also suggested, there ought to be nothing to stop you re-charging a fitted battery overnight/at the office to extend your range too (although one could argue that most people don't keep a stash of petrol at home, and that the battery network provider - be it Shell or whoever - is going to want a return on their investment in the hardware and network) - and should you wish to keep hold of a particular battery for a longer period, then that could well be covered in a deposit paid on the first battery you're given when you collect your new vehicle from the dealer?

The core principle being - since never own the physical battery in the first place, you're not going to be bothered about swapping it for another somewhere down the road?

Jx
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  #19  
Old 9 Sep 2020
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: opelousas la
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If the battery swap is world wide, you will pay the same price as locals. Yeah, I know I'm just paranoid and I know you can haggle down the price, but I am sure they overcharge all those filthy rich foreigners on everything without a price tag.
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  #20  
Old 15 Sep 2020
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Location: Belper, uk, EUROPE
Posts: 561
If only there was a documentary series with a celeb or two travelling in exotic places on a couple of electric bikes. Something to showcase the technology. Something like, say, Long Way Round. Ah, if only.
__________________
You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.
Last edited by Jay_Benson; 15 Sep 2020 at 13:13. Reason: Adding extra sarcasm.
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