The TH Interview: Chris Goodall—Ten Techs to Save Our Butts (Part Two)

RECHARGING ELECTRIC CARS – IS IT REALLY THAT DIFFICULT?

Am I missing something? Is it so simple that no one has thought of it? Of all the articles or stories I've read about how hard it's going to be to build the infrastructure to supply power to charge the electric cars of tomorrow none that I've read has disclosed my idea. Let me know if you've seen this concept mentioned before, and if not, I would like to hear your comments.

Here it is.

Every car manufacturer is limited to making their batteries, the entire pack as well as how it's mounted in the car to one, two or at most, three configurations. The pack must be easily removable and replaceable in minutes. You convert all the current gas stations and modify them with solar panels so they can generate the power needed to recharge the dead batteries. Anybody with an electric car drives until they need a freshly charged battery. They pull into one of these "charging" stations, the attendant disengages and slides the dead battery out, slides a new one in, you pay a nominal fee like, say, $10.00 and you're on your way. The price for this service is the same anywhere in the US, or world, and never goes up. All the current station owners get to keep their businesses because the government would give them tax incentives to convert to solar charging stations and instantly you have recharging stations already built and on the roadways where they need to be. By using these solar panels on the roofs of the charging stations as the power source, there wouldn't be an over burden on the current power grid. Also, there wouldn't be the need to build new charging outlets in hard to reach places, like the streets of major cities and parking garages in office buildings. Setting out on a trip longer than one charge would no longer be a fear knowing you will be able to get a new battery anywhere on the road.

Now, to make it all work, there has to be a way for the manufacturers to continue to make money off the deal. Here's how that works. The station owner has to purchase the batteries from the manufacturer, just as he would have to purchase the fuel. They have a life cycle so that the manufacturer will continue to have to make and sell them. Also, if the consumer has to give up one thing, it should be that the batteries can only be charged through these charging stations. No charging your car at home or work. As much as I hate saying that, doing so would keep the recharging off the current electric grid insuring we don't put undo stress on that system and it would keep those charging businesses in business which is the most important part of this concept.

It's that simple! Please, tell me. What I am I missing here. It just seems too elementary to not at least consider it. I would love to hear your comments, and if someone out there is in the automobile industry, tell us why it couldn't happen.

Thanks.

Here's a better plan: install ram-chargers at every Denny's across the country. Then people can charge every time they need to eat, and by the time they're done, their car is charged enough to drive until they have to eat again. And Denny's can make money off the chargers too.

Swapping batteries is a silly idea. Automating the process would be expensive at best, and not automating the process would be dangerous. It's just not a simple process by any stretch of the imagination.