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If Batteries Are Wear Parts In Anything That Needs Them, Why Wouldn't They Be In Cars?

Not that long ago, the then vice president of legal at Tesla basically told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the MCUv1 was a wear part. This component was the infotainment computer on the Model S and Model X, which should live as long as the cars. If Tesla recognized a computer would have to be replaced, it should do the same for the battery packs. After all, cells are wear parts in everything. Why wouldn’t they be in vehicles?
Although this bag is just a joke to fit under the frunk, it illustrates the point of this text perfectly 25 photos
Photo: via TeslaNorth
Although this case is just a joke to fit under the frunk, it illustrates the point of this text perfectlyAlthough this case is just a joke to fit under the frunk, it illustrates the point of this text perfectlyAlthough this case is just a joke to fit under the frunk, it illustrates the point of this text perfectlyAlthough this is just a joke to fit under the frunk, it illustrates the point of this text perfectlyAmple modular swappable batteries have the size of shoeboxesAmple modular swappable batteries have the size of shoeboxesAmple modular swappable batteries have the size of shoeboxesAmple modular swappable batteries have the size of shoeboxesAmple modular swappable batteries have the size of shoeboxesAmple modular swappable batteries have the size of shoeboxesJohn de Souza and Khaled Hassounah, the co-founders of AmpleAmple modular swappable batteries have the size of shoeboxesCATL Choco-SEB can be swapped and offer the range an EV really needsCATL Choco-SEB can be swapped and offer the range an EV really needsCATL Choco-SEB work as a regular battery pack: you can charge them at home, for exampleCATL Choco-SEBs are compatible cars in all sizesIt takes only one minute to replace each CATL Choco-SEBIt takes only one minute to replace each CATL Choco-SEBThis is the CATL Choco-SEB swapping stationEach CATL Choco-SEB swapping station can have 48 modulesEach CATL Choco-SEB swapping station occupies the equivalent to three parking spacesEach CATL Choco-SEB has 26.5 kWh and can deliver around 200 km (124 mi) of rangeEach CATL Choco-SEB has 26.5 kWh and can deliver around 200 km (124 mi) of rangeThis is a CATL Choco-SEB
Just think about it for a moment. You probably replaced old batteries in your toys several times as a child. You certainly do that in your kids’ toys if you have them. If you don’t, there are still remote controls, flashlights, and other stuff that need batteries around you. The alternative is using rechargeable cells, but they also eventually need to be replaced because they do not last as much as the equipment they are supposed to power.

Now think about your laptop or your cell phone. If you are old enough to remember, mobile phones used to come with removable batteries. When they were not good anymore, we’d buy new ones to keep the phone working. That changed when cell phone factories decided the whole thing was disposable and started producing them with no access to the battery. When it dies, you have to replace your mobile. It generally does not pay off to pay to swap the bad cell with a new one.

Although this case is just a joke to fit under the frunk, it illustrates the point of this text perfectly
Photo: via TeslaNorth
Ironically, this is the perfect metaphor for “computers on wheels.” Software evolution will already force them to have replaceable computers – like the MCUv1. However, that is not the only element you thought would last as long as the car that you may have to swap.

When the battery pack dies, you should pray for the BEV to still be under warranty. If it is not, you’ll end up having to try to sell the remaining components on your bricked car to make a buck and buy something else. Buying a new battery pack will not be an option unless you want to keep the EV running for sentimental reasons. Tesla advocates frequently urge people with serious problems with their cars to just buy a new vehicle and keep driving – as if everybody had all that cash to spare.

When Al Prescott wrote to NHTSA that computers in Tesla vehicles were wear parts, I asked why they were not listed as regular maintenance items. Curiously, it did not occur to me at the time that battery packs should also be included in that list. Tesla's German lawyers may have clarified that when they said the company’s products were not meant to last more than 130,488 miles (210,000 kilometers). That’s less than the warranty the company offers for the Model S and Model X: 149,129 mi (240,000 km) or eight years.

Although this is just a joke to fit under the frunk, it illustrates the point of this text perfectly
Photo: LegendaryOutlaw/Reddit
What if I intend to keep my car for longer? What if all the other components are good enough for it to keep running indefinitely? With Tesla, we already know that is not possible, thanks to Hansjörg von Gemmingen. The German driver put 1 million miles on the Model S P85+ he bought in 2014. During that time, he had to replace the motors (under warranty) “11 or 12 times” and the battery pack three times. But what about other BEVs, those that have been properly tested to prevent owners from being the ones discovering all the flaws these vehicles may present?

Automakers should seriously start to consider presenting customers with the expected lifespan of the battery packs in their EVs. How many cycles will they endure before dropping below 70% of capacity, which is regarded as the minimum for automotive use? How many miles do those cycles allow? Above all, how much will it cost these customers to put new batteries in their cars?

Ample modular swappable batteries have the size of shoeboxes
Photo: Ample
Imagine there was a service that allowed you to always have a perfect battery pack in your BEV. Instead of charging it, you could have the option to swap it for a charged one in an operation that would take only a few minutes – and not several, as charging demands. More than that, imagine that you could use modules instead of a massive battery pack. If you did not need to travel too far, you could have fewer modules, which would make your car lighter and more efficient. Wouldn’t that be nice? You probably already know where I am heading here.

The deal is that these options already exist. CATL offers Choco-SEBs, and NIO offers Power Swap stations. Ample uses even smaller modules, but they are still in their testing phase if I am not mistaken. I have no idea if their business cases work and how they make money with having to invest in so many extra battery packs. The issue is if they eventually go bankrupt and you are stuck with fewer modules than you really need or with a swappable battery pack that you can no longer swap. The solution for that is a standard module or battery pack for all BEVs. Sadly, we are more distant from that than we are from synthetic and renewable fuels.

In a world where all things have a limited lifespan – even this planet – it is only fair that we know how much they will last if we are supposed to buy them. Knowing when you are expected to replace the batteries on your car and how much that will cost is also not asking too much – especially if that is supposed to be your only option in a not-so-distant future. It is beyond me why this subject does not emerge whenever we are discussing the EV shift.
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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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