Very cool. The battery swap idea is nice (which is probably why Tesla switched to it recently), and they're right - it can be used for a lot more than just scooters (if they can convince other manufacturers to accept their batteries).
The only issue is that it doesn't sound like their battery technology is all that great. The mentioned the scooter can only get 60 miles on a full charge - meanwhile, a Tesla can get over 200 and should consume a lot more energy than a smaller scooter.
With so much of their idea riding on the battery itself (and not the scooter), they're going to need an awesome battery. If they have to use someone else's battery technology, I don't think it will work out that well for them, as a company.
As an idea, it's great. As a company, they've got work to do in the department of developing a better battery.
I live in Vietnam where scooters are the defacto mode of transport. I literally get headaches driving home during rush hour from sucking all that exhaust, though I've recently been able to find a good solid face mask (a Totobobo) that helps a lot.
Anyways, my point is that 60 miles on a scooter is pretty far in terms of how scooters are used here. You aren't going to make that long haul to Dalat or anything, but for day to day, this thing would be awesome.
I don't think it'll catch on here though, but I won't get into why.
This doesn't make any sense to me. Nobody ever drives more than 30 miles in one direction on a scooter, so plugging it in overnight would be a lot more convenient than driving to a swap station. Sure, it might only take 6 seconds to swap a battery, but even if the swap station is really close by, driving there every day will get old really fast.
When I saw the article originally, got very excited. My 8 mile commute to the office is perfect for something like this... but swapping the battery kinda kills it for me.
The proprietary part thing is also very strange. It's unlikely (I think) that they will be able to keep others out of the market anyway, but it's also a very weird idea that you could buy a bike but then have to pay a subscription otherwise you can't use it. Maybe the pricing model will make this more straightforward somehow, but Chinese four-strokes are very cheap now, so it's difficult to imagine how this might be price competitive.
Actually, for my purposes, having batteries that I could charge indoors and swap in and out of the scooter as and when needed would be neat.
But "swap station", no. That's just as bad as having to get petrol. Refueling already only takes about 60 seconds, but any station that's on a commuting route will have a queue during commuting hours.
I commute by scooter. My scooter, along with our 4 other bikes, live outside, and not conveniently placed for plugging in.
As to 30 miles, I've toured Scotland and Ireland by scooter, round trips from London. But I understand your point. Most days, for most people, scooters are used for commuting single-digit mile trips. Of all the vehicles you could make electric, scooters makes some of the most sense.
I think it makes sense for big dense cities. Living in SF I have a biased view but it would work great here. I dislike the idea that you are locked into swapping battery BUT I see the ability to swap as a huge benefit. A lot of cities do not have off street parking or at least those riding scooters do not want to pay for it. You park on the street and plugging it in becomes a nightmare.
I think it makes sense for big dense cities. Living in SF I have a biased view but it would work great here. I dislike the idea that you are locked into swapping battery BUT I see the ability to swap as a huge benefit. A lot of cities do not have off street parking or at least those riding scooters do not want to pay for it. You park on the street and plugging it in becomes a nightmare.
I think it makes sense for big dense cities. Living in SF I have a biased view but it would work great here. I dislike the idea that you are locked into swapping battery BUT I see the ability to swap as a huge benefit. A lot of cities do not have off street parking or at least those riding scooters do not want to pay for it. You park on the street and plugging it in becomes a nightmare.
When I travelled in Vietnam, they have drive-thru gas stations that are built for motor scooters. Cars seem awkward there. It would fit perfectly in a place like that. The general population is very poor. Motor scooters are parked outside. Having access to an electric cable doesn't work for most people. They live in apartments.
Going to a government run gas station and having the attendant swap a battery for you is the easiest way to make this work.
Yep, been travelling through SE-Asia for the last 3 months. Loads of scooters here and they're parked anywhere on the street or sidewalks. Even if you'd theoretically get a power outlet from an apartment onto the street, there would be no way of controlling who uses it (=probably everybody).
Actually, that wouldn't even work in the apartment building I live in (in Berlin, Germany). Some people park their scooters in the courtyard... a public power outlet would probably be used for anything imagineable before a scooter would even get a half charge.
Interesting idea. I live in a sub-tropical zone that is hot most of the year. If I had the option of this or a $30-40k Tesla and the ability to just swap batteries, the Tesla would win every time for two reasons a) a roof over my head to keep the rain off, b) air conditioning.
I might have gone for it in college, but even then I'd been saving my pennies for a car.
I see where they are going. Assuming all vehicles go electric in the future and swappable batteries become the norm, it would make sense to standardize on one battery whose distribution would be ubiquitous, versus each vehicle manufacturer having to create a swappable battery distribution system.
Gogoro should try make their battery design an IEC standard.
In the video Horace Luke talks about the impact the AA battery had on the consumer electronics industry. AA batteries was standardised by ANSI in 1947. Todays standard batteries are too small for any kind of transportation device.
29 comments
[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 66.9 ms ] threadThe only issue is that it doesn't sound like their battery technology is all that great. The mentioned the scooter can only get 60 miles on a full charge - meanwhile, a Tesla can get over 200 and should consume a lot more energy than a smaller scooter.
With so much of their idea riding on the battery itself (and not the scooter), they're going to need an awesome battery. If they have to use someone else's battery technology, I don't think it will work out that well for them, as a company.
As an idea, it's great. As a company, they've got work to do in the department of developing a better battery.
Anyways, my point is that 60 miles on a scooter is pretty far in terms of how scooters are used here. You aren't going to make that long haul to Dalat or anything, but for day to day, this thing would be awesome.
I don't think it'll catch on here though, but I won't get into why.
Having this said, my motorcycle consumes almost as much fuel as an average car.
"Tesla's Battery Swap Stations Will Help It Requalify For ZEV Credits In California"
-- http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/12/30/tes...
Tesla would not make a profit without those credits.
-- http://seekingalpha.com/article/2724835-after-earning-tens-o...
When I saw the article originally, got very excited. My 8 mile commute to the office is perfect for something like this... but swapping the battery kinda kills it for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lSnwG61B7g
60 miles each direction... frequently done by quite a few people and not just as a mass event (though it looks better for YouTube).
Wouldn't want to trust a 60 mile range battery on it though.
But "swap station", no. That's just as bad as having to get petrol. Refueling already only takes about 60 seconds, but any station that's on a commuting route will have a queue during commuting hours.
I commute by scooter. My scooter, along with our 4 other bikes, live outside, and not conveniently placed for plugging in.
As to 30 miles, I've toured Scotland and Ireland by scooter, round trips from London. But I understand your point. Most days, for most people, scooters are used for commuting single-digit mile trips. Of all the vehicles you could make electric, scooters makes some of the most sense.
[0]: http://scootnetworks.com
Going to a government run gas station and having the attendant swap a battery for you is the easiest way to make this work.
Actually, that wouldn't even work in the apartment building I live in (in Berlin, Germany). Some people park their scooters in the courtyard... a public power outlet would probably be used for anything imagineable before a scooter would even get a half charge.
I might have gone for it in college, but even then I'd been saving my pennies for a car.
Open up!
In the video Horace Luke talks about the impact the AA battery had on the consumer electronics industry. AA batteries was standardised by ANSI in 1947. Todays standard batteries are too small for any kind of transportation device.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battery_sizes