Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company would demo a new battery swap on Thursday June 20th at 8pm PT. Here are five fast facts you need to know.
Live pack swap demo on Thurs night at 8pm California time at our design studio in Hawthorne. Seeing is believing.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 18, 2013
1.The Model S Will Be The Test Subject
CEO Elon Musk has asserted that the Model S has a battery pack that can easily be removed and replaced according to AllThingsD. This would eliminate the need for stopovers at charging stations and help support long distances. The Model S is one of the highlights of the company’s product line so Tesla will upload the video of the demonstration to the their site at 8pm PT.
2.The Battery Swap Should Reduce Charge Time
In 2010, GigaOM’s Katie Fehrenbacher was told that Tesla’s Model S was already capable of this feature but that they have not implemented it yet. In her most recent article, she reports that the new system is meant to help solve charging anxiety. Fehrenbacher cites that current electric cars can only reach 200-300 miles on a battery. The battery swap is intended to provide a charge time equivalent to the amount of time it would take to fill a tank of gas.
As part of the plan, Tesla is working on the groundwork to install more charging stations from coast to coast.
3.A Rival Company Has Tried This Before
Electric car company Better Place had created a similar technique of switchable battery packs but had to shut down after burning through $850 million dollars of investor money. Better Place had experienced a series of issues which included distributing a small amount of vehicles to countries that had high gas prices and short commute times. Despite this, it seems as if Tesla’s plan is to build upon what this clean tech company had already started. The Verge cites GigaOM about the schematics for the new system. The demonstration may show a redesigned chassis that would enable quick and easy access to switch out the packs which is what Better Places wanted back in 2008.
4.Tesla Will Test Electric Car Viability
Earlier this year, the firm received a blistering review of their Model S. The reporter discussed his ride from Newark, DE to Milford, CT. In the 256 mile span between the two states, he questioned the viability of the car. One of the major issues discussed was that the charge fell quickly after leaving the various charging stations. This generated a large amount of bad PR for Tesla which illustrates that the reputation of the firm is depending on this test. At AllThingsD annual conference, Musk emphasized that he would be dedicating resources to improve long distance travel. These battery swaps could offer considerable aid in enhancing the Tesla experience and would be a considerable effort to help us “go green.”
5.Musk And His Company Will Succeed
The South African born billionaire is a noted futurist. He is fascinated with innovating new forms of travel and has been instrumental in developing some reputable companies. The CEO brought out a new financing plan to help make the cars of the future more affordable. Of course, he will encounter issues just like any company would when it comes to expansion. Combining this new development with the financing plans he has installed could mean we all may be driving Tesla cars soon. We will keep you updated on the test once it posts online.
