A YOUTUBER has documented an innovative service that allows EV drivers to swap out fully charged batteries and save tons of time at charging stations.
By using the Chinese company Nio, Ran was able to travel hundreds of miles in his ET5 sedan on a single charge.
A YouTuber has documented an auto brand’s new and innovative service that allows drivers to swap out batteries during road trips[/caption]
Chinese auto brand Nio has installed swapping stations where drivers can reserve high-performance batteries to travel hundreds of miles without stopping[/caption]
Over 2,000 stations have been installed across Asia and Europe, and the process takes minutes[/caption]
In August, Ran posted an hour-long documentary covering a road trip across China’s Sichuan province and showcased the power of battery swapping.
At the beginning of the video, Ran quickly used his phone to reserve a massive 150kWh battery through the auto brand, which had double the charge of his normal pack.
All he had to do was drive to a swapping station and follow instructions from Nomi, the cute robot companion fastened to each car’s dashboard.
After getting to the station, Nomi took control and parked the car in a garage, where the battery was switched in minutes.
By day two of nonstop driving, Ran was running low on juice and was ready to get his old battery back.
He showed just how easy it was to swap out the high-performance battery for his normal 75 kWh pack, all while zooming down the highway.
Ran, again, used his phone to look up the nearest Nio swapping station and found one right along his route.
There are currently 2,000 stations across Asia and Europe, so he had no issues getting service outside a popular Chinese city.
With just 1% battery left, Ran pulled up to the station and made the swap in minutes before heading to his final destination.
Ran drove an incredible 550 miles with the 150kWh battery, and he paid 300 RMB, or about $42, for the service.
Viewers were wowed by the video, and said the mileage was “amazing.”
“My 2015 Tesla Model S 85 will do a maximum of 220 miles in ideal summer conditions and 200 miles in winter so this is an impressive performance,” one person wrote.
Another said, “Man, these guys are living in the future.”
Many drivers are snubbing EVs because of range anxiety and the limited availability of charging stations, but Nio’s innovative solution helps to curb both issues.
For now, NIO is only selling cars in China, and there are no public plans to enter the US market.
However, the company’s pace-setting invention could be adopted by other brands in Western countries.
Electric vehicles vs gas
Pros and cons of EVs vs gasoline-powered vehicles
EV PROS:
- Convenient (when charging at home)
- Cheaper (depending on state or city)
- Cheaper maintenance, due to lack of mechanical parts
- Great for commuting
- Reduced CO2 emissions
- Federal and state tax incentives
- More performance (speed, handling – depending on the make and model)
EV CONS:
- Higher initial cost
- Higher insurance rates
- More frequent tire and brake replacement intervals
- Higher curb weight (thus causing more rapid wear on crucial parts)
- Low resale value
- High depreciation rates
- Lack of charging infrastructure
- Unreliable public charging (related: slow charging times)
- Poor winter and summer performance
- Lack of clean energy alternatives means more “dirty energy” from coal and nuclear sources
- Range anxiety
GAS PROS:
- Highly developed refueling infrastructure
- Fast refueling
- Cheaper insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
- Established repair industry
- Lower initial cost
- Higher range before refueling, especially with hybrids
- Many manufacturers produce nearly emission-less engines
- Cheaper refueling, depending on the location
GAS CONS:
- Finite resource (related: heavy dependence on petroleum)
- Carbon emissions/greenhouse gases
- Higher repair costs
- Higher insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
- Varying costs at the pump, depending on state, city, and county
Source: Car & Driver, Perch Energy, AutoWeek
CHARGE IT
The EV news comes as one state decided to pull the plug on its program of building new charging stations.
In Maryland, stations were set to be installed at government buildings across the state.
However, the Maryland Public Service Commission found several issues with the scheme.
Another EV driver made the hard decision to sell his brand-new Rivian after purchasing it for $75,000.
He drove it for just a few months before it landed in the mechanic’s shop.
