“You Can’t Get People To Sit Over An Explosion.”- Colonel Albert A. Pope (1843-1909) for ICEVs

Evolution Of Battery (Energy) Swapping

Battery swapping is a type of vitality replenishment of present-day EVs and refers back to the technique of changing a depleted or partially depleted battery pack in an EV with a completely charged one, sometimes at a devoted battery swapping station. This method is utilized in some EVs as an alternative choice to charging the automobile’s battery pack through a charging station. This want turns into extraordinarily essential in a world that’s making an attempt emigrate from the greater than century-old confirmed expertise of ICEVs to EVs. It will solely be similar to current day fuel filling station, when the vitality replenishment of EVs is comparable to the current day gas filling in ICEVs. The EVs will then solely be prepared for lengthy vary of journey and mass acceptably.

Old Age Swappable Energy

When we discuss battery swapping, it not directly means vitality swapping solely which is saved in batteries. For understanding this technique of vitality swapping, we have to journey again a bit extra within the historical past of mobility, because it advanced from the early days of civilization. Energy swapping, per se, has been a giant problem for the reason that time people discovered sooner options to maneuver as in comparison with strolling.

It was the time when animals (primarily horses) have been used for long-distance actions or for load carrying. Since animals by nature have a restricted vary of journey because of their organic & bodily constraints (they want relaxation & meals to recoup their vitality), preparations have been made at common distances in these early instances to alter these animals (or in different phrases swapped) to make sure that the journeys might be accomplished at a gradual tempo. Such relay stations additionally had a set of educated individuals to maintain these animals, match & wholesome. These locations allowed the drained animals to relaxation and get well, whereas permitting individuals to proceed their onward journey by utilizing new animals, with out breaking their journey. This in a means, was the very first vitality swapping station albeit of a distinct type the place depleted vitality supply (drained animals) was swapped with rejuvenated vitality supply (nicely rested & nicely fed animals).

The sample continued in the course of the instances of steam engines, when the vitality swapping/refilling was executed within the type of loading of coal & water which have been required by the steam engines. During this time, advanced community of coal & water replenishment programs advanced. This refilling of coal & water was additionally a type of vitality swapping for the mobility machines of these instances. Historically, horse altering (swapping) & Coal/ water refilling programs have been vital features of transportation and logistics earlier than the arrival of cars. This altering of horses was a ability, so was the coal & water filling, requiring good coordination, in addition to data of the a number of programs & might really be referred to as the origin of current day battery (vitality) swapping for future EVs. Now, contemplating the similarity of those vitality charging & fuel refilling as a technique of vitality replenishment, we have to perceive the problem of EVs for the reason that early 1900s once they have been ruling the mobility world.

Present Day Battery (Energy) Swapping

Coming again to modern-day EVs, battery swapping has an amazing degree of similarity with these vitality swapping programs of by gone period & conforms to the identical goal – because it was in good previous days when the horses have been changed/ coal-water was replenished, to lock the journeys & cut back the idle time. The battery swapping of current day EVs, have to serve the identical goal & within the late nineteenth century, many automotive firms had begun experimenting with the thought of fast alternative of battery. The Milburn Wagon Company[2] (based in 1848 in Toledo, Ohio), was one of many extra profitable electrical automobile makers of these time, producing hundreds of automobiles between 1914 and 1922.

In 1915 they launched a battery swap-out system, which had batteries on rollers that allowed the proprietor to “roll out” the discharged batteries and “roll in” the charged ones. President Wilson’s Secret Service employees used Milburns. Later in 1923, General Motors (GM) purchased the Milburn manufacturing unit and used it to make Buicks automobiles, but the Milburns have been produced on a “custom-order” until as late as 1927.

Another firm, the Electric Cab and Carriage Service was launched in New York in 1897 by two Philadelphia engineers, Henry Morris and Pedro Salom, and backed by the Electric Storage Battery Company. In 1899, because the gross sales elevated, it renamed itself the EV Company (EVC). Unfortunately, in these instances, a lot of the batteries have been with LABs (Lead Acid Battery) which have been disproportionately heavy, weighing round 1,600 kilos every, and the automobiles’ shells might barely deal with this added weight. Moreover, these LABs have been liable to leak corrosive fluids damaging the automobile our bodies. Since electrical energy was a brand new invention in early 1900, the charging/ swapping services have been additionally restricted. It was time when an EV drove into the station, technicians needed to pull out the two.600 kg battery tray, utilizing a hydraulic piston, after which used an overhead crane to carry it from the desk and deposited it within the charging room. The new battery was put again utilizing the reverse course of for the cab to maneuver out on the roads.

In 1907, predictably, EVC folded and it was a yr later that Henry Ford launched his well-known “Model T”. Some of those electrical cabs continued to run in New York City till 1912, BUT by 1919 the EVs market share fell to only 1% of all business automobiles within the US, and just about no non-public EV automobiles because of the large success of “Model T” and discovery of low-cost oil in Texas (interval often called “Texas Oil Boom”). However, the allure of EVs by no means died and the search continued to discover a light-weight battery various to the heavy LAB. It was a quest that took virtually seventy years to succeed in its aim when Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) might be commercially made accessible. However, it’s understood that there have been nonetheless many transformed EVs that have been utilized in taxis in Spain until WW-II – these transformed EVs have been utilizing LAB because of “Shortage of Fuel” in Europe.

This system was the earliest instance of an “Exchangeable Battery Service” system developed by the French firm “La Societe des Moteurs Bollée” within the early 1900s, which allowed EV drivers to rapidly “swap out” depleted batteries for absolutely charged ones at designated battery-swapping stations. Unfortunately, affordability of ICEVs & low-cost oil didn’t permit it to achieve widespread acceptance.

Around the identical time (between 1910~1924), {an electrical} utility firm within the US, by the identify of Hartford Electric Light Company[4], via its sister firm GeVeCo battery service, was serving electrical vans with what is called the earliest battery swapping service of recent instances. The automobile house owners bought the automobile, with no battery, from General Vehicle Company (GeVeCo), part-owned by General Electric. The vitality was bought from Hartford Electric & batteries have been charged which have been offered as exchangeable batteries. Both automobiles and batteries have been designed to facilitate a quick alternate. The proprietor paid a variable per-mile cost and a month-to-month service charge to cowl automobile upkeep and storage. These automobiles coated greater than 6 million miles even though early Milburns[5] solely had a helpful vary of 90 to 120 kms. A 1918 literature commercial acknowledged “THE BATTERIES ARE NOW ON ROLLERS THAT OPERATE ON TRACKS, SIMPLY ROLL OUT THE DISCHARGED ONES AND ROLL IN THE FRESHLY CHARGED SET.”

The same service was operated for house owners of Milburn Light electrical automobiles in Chicago[6]. In the Seventies, Mercedes examined battery swapping and constructed about 40 electrical buses with a guide horizontal battery swapping system (see Figure 2) however concluded that the expertise was not secure. Due to those high quality issues, the undertaking was not continued[7]. Thomas Weber, the chief of R&D at Mercedes, stated that the system examined by them was very harmful, as electrocution might happen simply in the course of the guide change. They examined these 40 vans very rigorously, with a guide horizontal battery swapping system. Back in 1970, when the electronics have been primitive Weber had some extent on electrocution. Added to the precautions of electrocution, there was the difficulty of the battery’s high quality. The idea of an clever charging and discharging mechanism, telling the client what the state of the battery is, will need to have been out of science fiction in these instances, so was to inform concerning the charging station, its battery parameters, and reliability for a subsequent minimal of miles. Weber stated that each electrical automobile has to have its personal battery and this could have an autonomy of about 125 miles, being recharged in a most of quarter-hour as much as 80%. Weber additionally stated that the battery expertise to attain this gained’t be commercially viable till 10 years from now (bear in mind it was 1970).

Mercedes Trying Battery Swap On Electric Buses Back In The 70s

Some Of Early EVs With Swappable Batteries, One Also By Thomas A. Edison

Above are the lower sections of chassis of early EVs by General Vehicle (GeVeCo) chassis from Long Island City, New York, 1911 with electrical motor within the rear, with chain drive of rear wheel & battery pack mounted at backside for straightforward alternative.

Evolution Of EVs from early Henney Kilowatt to GM’s Exotic to Tesla’s Model S

Evolution of Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB)

Lithium is the lightest of all metals and has the best electrochemical potential to supply the most important vitality density for weight however Lithium steel additionally has inherent instability throughout charging when used within the battery. In early 1970, M. Stanley Whittingham found the method to manage this charging instability. However, he couldn’t make this rechargeable lithium battery a sensible one. During 1974~76, a technique of reversible intercalation[8] in graphite and intercalation into cathodic oxides was found by J. O. Besenhard who proposed its utility in lithium cells. The analysis work continued on these cells and in 1991 when a Japanese staff at Sony, led by Yoshio Nishi efficiently launched the primary commercialized lithium-ion battery (LIB).

The growth of LIB expertise was thought of to be so revolutionary that in 2019, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino “for the same. Though these batteries are called LIBs, in real terms they do not have any Lithium as metal but as an intercalated lithium compound. These LIBs are extensively used in modern EVs, however, battery technology analyst Mark Ellis of Munro & Associates sees three distinct LIB form factors & their combination that would be used in future EVs:

a) cylindrical cells (e.g., Tesla),

b) prismatic pouch (e.g., from LG), and

c) prismatic can cells (e.g., from LG, Samsung, Panasonic, and others).

Compared to any other battery technology, LIB technology had many advantages such as high energy density, no need for prolonged priming when new, relatively low self-discharge, low maintenance, can provide the very high current needed during quick acceleration, no memory & also higher cell voltage (3.6v) which compensated few of its demerits such as it is subjected to aging, even if not in use, requires protection to maintain voltage and current & it is expensive to manufacture 9albiet the cost is coming down as the technology is maturing). One of the biggest advantages of LIB technology is its flexibility in size & form factor. The LIB can be manufactured in the shape & size needed to meet any specific requirement with desired working voltages & energy densities.

Return Of EVs With Swappable Batteries

With the battery technology (LIB) available, offering excellent energy density & also flexibility creating a battery with an unbound form factor, in 1993, Suntera[9][10] developed a two-seat 3-wheel electric vehicle called the SUNRAY, which came with a battery cartridge that could be “swapped out” in minutes at a battery-swap station. In 1995, Suntera additionally added a motor scooter. The firm was later renamed Personal Electric Transports (PET). After 2000 the corporate developed an electrical bus. In 2004, the corporate’s 3-wheel stand-up EV gained 1st place on the 5-day lengthy American Tour de Sol electrical automobile race. Unfortunately, the corporate closed in 2006. Some smaller automakers tried to popularize battery swapping with particular person cities however couldn’t succeed.

Sunray EV With Swappable Battery Cartridge (Front)

Zotye Auto constructed a fleet 15 of M300 EV hatchbacks for a taxi fleet in Hangzhou, China. In 2011, one in all these automobiles burnt after the battery pack within the trunk caught hearth. An investigation later discovered that fault within the battery and in addition identified that the battery connecting terminals had worn out because of repeated loading and unloading of charged battery packs.

Zotye M300 EV & Battery Swapping (Rear)

In latest instances, one other firm that attempted to revive battery swapping albeit differently was Better Place[11], an organization began by Shai Agassi[12] of Israel in 2007 when it developed and began settling battery charging and battery switching providers for electrical automobiles. The firm’s setup was capable of substitute depleted batteries with absolutely charged ones at designated battery swapping stations in a short time. Despite being an previous thought within the age of cell phones, his thought of fast battery swapping for electrical automobiles was an on the spot hit, and because it was the precise time when enterprise capitalists have been in search of some nice thought, it’s present in Better Place. The funds began pouring in & the corporate started to broaden quickly all through the world. With progress past expectation, Better Place introduced the deployment of EV networks in Israel, Denmark, and Hawaii in 2008 and 2009.

The firm deliberate to deploy the infrastructure on a country-by-country foundation and went on to provoke talks with greater than 25 extra areas world wide. Australia, Ontario, Oregon, and California additionally introduced the deployment of their very own EV networks. Riding on success, in January 2008, Better Place introduced a memorandum of understanding with Renault-Nissan to construct the world’s first Electric Recharge Grid Operator (ERGO) mannequin for Israel. Under the settlement, Better Place would construct the “Electric Recharge Grid”, and Renault-Nissan would supply the custom-built EVs. Unfortunately, the expansion of Better Place was a lot hyped and unsustainable over the lengthy interval because of the excessive funding required to develop the charging and swapping infrastructure. Market penetration of Better Place was considerably decrease than initially predicted by Shai Agassi, who anticipated 100,000 automobiles on Israeli roads by 2010 which by no means crossed 1,000. A complete of 948 Better Place branded Fluence Z.E.[13] automobiles have been deployed in Israel and round 400 models have been offered in Denmark by May 2013, when Better Place filed for chapter. Under Better Place’s enterprise mannequin, the corporate owned the batteries of Fluence Z.E. Customer by no means owned the battery and therefore there was a threat of being left with a ineffective automobile in case Better Place was unable to provide a charged battery beneath the alternative plan.

It have to be famous that the Renault Fluence Z.E. was the electrical model of the Renault Fluence compact sedan, a part of the Renault Z.E. program of BEVs. It was unveiled by Renault on the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Fluence Z.E. was fitted with a 22 kWh LIB which allowed it journey vary of about 185 km (with most speeds as much as 135 kmph). It was the primary trendy electrical automobile recognized to be enabled with battery swapping expertise and was deployed throughout the Better Place community in Israel and Denmark in 2012. Fluence Z.E. was constructed on the Oyak-Renault plant in Bursa, Turkey & because it was phased out, a fixed-battery model referred to as Renault Samsung SM3 ZE was launched in South Korea. It was one of the common electrical automobiles in South Korea within the mid-2010s, with hundreds offered via 2017. Global gross sales totaled 10,600 models via December 2019, principally composed of SM3 Z.E. models.

Battery Swapping Present Day Scenario

Now with the evolution of battery applied sciences and by being in operation for fairly a while the battery swapping expertise has additionally seen many cyclic adjustments. With the latest evolution of the entire ecosystem, battery swapping is turning into a sensible answer for the mass EV market, with higher load & vitality administration. Today, with the rising variety of EVs on the roads, it’s gaining reputation as new-age EVs have additionally advanced into a suitable various to ICEVs.

Many firms like NIO Power (China), Gogoro (Taiwan), Immotor (China), Aulton (China), and Sun Mobility (India) are the leading players and are now creating dedicated battery swapping stations to make it easier for drivers to switch out their batteries. The Battery swapping technology today is a highly innovative field both from core electronics point of view to highly complex power gird & load management as well as energy balancing (between conventional & renewable energies) point of view.  Overall, while battery swapping technology has the potential to improve the convenience and cost-effectiveness of EVs, more testing and research are needed for its scalability, ease of operation with safety to make improve its acceptability.

In the late 1990s, while the 4W EV market was still evolving, battery swapping technology saw the emergence of another segment of automobiles i.e. 2W & 3W sectors. Taiwan-based company Gogoro (2011) started to develop and deploy battery swapping expertise for his or her electric scooters, which allowed riders to rapidly change out their drained batteries with absolutely charged ones. These battery packs have been then charged on the comfort of the cost station on the time when the gird tariff was decrease and/or utilizing inexperienced energies have been generated far-off and pumped to those charging stations. These stations have been charging nominal charges to cost these battery packs of 2W & 3W. Some different firms like Bird and Lime, are additionally experimenting with battery swapping for electrical scooters and even bicycles for which batteries might be rapidly swapped out with absolutely charged ones, permitting the scooters to stay in service for longer durations of time.

Broad Timelines Of Key Events In The Evolution Of EV’s Battery Swapping

The Benefits Of Battery Swapping [“Battery As A Service (BaaS)”]

Battery swapping affords a number of advantages for electrical automobile (EV) house owners and the surroundings. Here are among the key benefits of battery swapping:

Increased Availability

A quick and handy option to recharge EVs, rising their availability and lowering the downtime related to conventional charging strategies.

Eliminates Range Anxiety

Eliminates vary nervousness, one of many largest challenges related to EV possession, by offering a fast and simple option to substitute a depleted battery with a completely charged one.

Battery Inspection

Allows for frequent inspection of batteries, which may also help optimize their utilization and lengthen their lifespan.

Standalone Cost-Effective Infrastructure

Stations could be unitized & constructed extra cheaply, much like Gas filling stations. With higher harvesting of Solar & Wind Power, these stand alongside charging stations could be made to retailer electrical energy – generated from these renewable vitality sources, eliminating the whole back-end energy infrastructure.

Environmental Benefits

Battery swapping can be useful in lowering the environmental influence of EVs, because it eliminates the random charging & later disposal of used batteries. Additionally, together with renewable energies and these charging stations may also help to cut back the general demand for electrical energy from standard assets.

Faster Charging

It could be designed for a a lot sooner price of charging, thus lowering the general vitality replenishment time of EVs.

Flexibility

It affords flexibility for EV house owners, as they will select between charging their battery or swapping it out relying on their wants and preferences.

Longer Vehicle Lifespan

It can doubtlessly improve the bodily use lifetime of EVs per se, as it should permit the upgrading of battery to a more recent and higher-capacity battery in instances to return (albeit in the identical kind issue).

Challenges & Future Of Battery Swapping

Battery swapping is an revolutionary expertise having its personal points, a lot of them are essential but if dealt with correctly, it will likely be of nice assist in pushing the EV transition. Each of those challenges wants particular consideration for this expertise to return into the mainstream. As the EV business continues to evolve, battery swapping expertise will even proceed to evolve to play an vital position in shaping the way forward for transportation. Some of those challenges are listed beneath:

Standardization/ Limited Battery Types

Battery swapping requires a normal battery design and measurement, which could be difficult for OEMs, given the number of EV fashions and producers out there. Ensuring compatibility and interoperability between completely different OEMs is crucial for battery swapping to be broadly adopted. This is without doubt one of the most vital elements as when executed, the 2W & 3W producers must design their automobiles round such standardized battery kind quite than the current means of auto design, wherein as soon as the automobile design is full, the battery is designed to slot in the house accessible.

Limited Availability & Poor Maintenance

Battery swapping stations usually are not all the time available, particularly in distant areas the place EVs are extra doubtless for use. Even if these stations are made accessible, many instances they stop to operate as there are not any individuals to function & preserve them.

Expensive Infrastructure

Establishing battery swapping stations requires vital funding in infrastructure, together with land, gear, and educated personnel.

Safety

Battery swapping includes dealing with giant quantities of transportable electrical vitality, requiring sturdy security protocols for the protection of personnel. There can be a threat of fireside or explosion if batteries usually are not dealt with correctly and/ or charging stations usually are not maintained correctly, which might pose a menace to basic public security. Safety of this setup is extraordinarily essential as in comparison with a petroleum pump the place saved vitality is seen whereas within the EV charging stations, {the electrical} vitality just isn’t seen. Moreover, electrical energy itself continues to be not nicely understood in India the place about 30 individuals die on daily basis due to electrocution[18].

Homologation Challenge

An enormous security problem will come within the type of crash security when these batteries could be owned, maintained & charged by another person however could be utilized by a number of customers.

Battery Terminal Connections

With frequent battery swapping, sustaining good high-current connections of those batteries throughout the battery compartment would even be extraordinarily essential to keep away from harmful overheating and arcing on the facility connections.

High Cost Of Swapping Station

Creating a battery charging system even for an inexpensive variety of automobiles requires a heavy funding – each domestically in addition to on the energy grid degree, supporting them.

Epilogue

Addressing these challenges shall be key to the widespread adoption and success of battery swapping expertise which has the potential to rework the way in which we energy our EVs, however it’s important to deal with the challenges and dangers earlier than implementing the expertise broadly. Despite these challenges, battery swapping is an thrilling space of the present-day mobility sector and it’s actually required for EV transition. As battery expertise advances and extra producers undertake battery-swapping programs, we will anticipate the expertise to turn into extra broadly used within the years forward, bringing advantages like sooner charging, larger availability, and decreased vary nervousness to EV house owners. It has the potential to play an vital position within the progress of EVs market, overcoming the most typical concern of widespread man which is “range anxiety”.

On the flip facet, the development of battery expertise within the discipline of solid-state batteries additionally brings a dramatically reverse standpoint as with the arrival of solid-state batteries, the necessity for battery swapping expertise could itself get decreased. This is because of indisputable fact that the solid-state batteries could be rapidly charged and still have an extended lifespan, lowering the necessity for frequent battery swaps and even the charging of the battery itself. Overall, whereas battery swapping expertise has the potential to enhance the comfort and cost-effectiveness of EVs, it nonetheless wants to beat a number of obstacles in addition to future technological growth within the discipline of battery applied sciences.

Despite the challenges, the way forward for Battery swapping in India seems to be promising, with a number of key gamers coming into the market. The general marketplace for Battery swapping in India is predicted to develop quickly within the coming years. According to a report by Niti Aayog, the demand for Battery swapping in India is projected to succeed in 25~30 GWh by 2025 and 50-60 GWh by 2030. This presents a big alternative for Battery swapping suppliers to determine themselves within the Indian market and contribute to the expansion of the EV business.

Prabhat Khare Executive Vice President at Lithion Power Private Limited BE (Electrical), Gold Medalist, IIT Roorkee Automotive & Engineering Consultant, Energy & Safety Auditor, Trainer/ Technology Article Writer Auto Sector Expert (Tata Motors, Honda & Ashok Leyland) Energy Sector Expert (Cement & Fertilizers) Energy Manager (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) Life Member of National Safety Council of India Lead Assessor for ISO 9K, 14K, 45K & 50K (BSI)