Battery Swapping
A Key to Electric Vehicle Success?
Gymnasium Würselen
Eco Drivers
Melisa Atas, Tim Azarvan, Chantal Bardenheuer,
Carolin Bock, Ronja Johnen, Nora Lelabi
Table of contents
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Description of the region Aachen
Requirements to the mobility system
Our future system: Battery swapping
Comparison: Built-in Batteries / Switchable
Batteries
• Company ‘Better Place’
 idea
 network
 process
Table of contents
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Advantages of our System
Disadvantages of our System
The Tesla Concept
Plans for the future
Region Aachen
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In western North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Area: 707.15 km2
Population region Aachen: 541,500
Neighboring districts and countries:
– Heinsberg
– Düren
– Euskirchen
– Netherlands
– Belgium
Region Aachen
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Sights:
Three-Country Corner
RWTH Aachen University
Aachen Cathedral
Medieval Town Hall
Hot Springs
TIVOLI(football arena)
University Hospital Aachen -Klinikum Aachen
World Equestrian Festival - CHIO Aachen
Age structure Region Aachen
under 5
5-15
15-25
25-35
35-45
6%
2%
45-55
55-65
65-75
4%
9%
11%
13%
11%
13%
16%
15%
75-85
85+
copyright: Wikipedia
Vehicles used in Aachen
3% 3%
14%
37%
Car
Bus
Train
Bicycle
16%
Motorcycle
Scooter
27%
Kilometres each day
7%
30%
26%
<10
10<30
30<50
>50
37%
Requirements to the Mobility System
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Good prices
Fast fuel/battery refill
Flexibility
Regularity, punctuality
Clarity
Environmentally friendly
Requirements to the Mobility System
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Cheaper bus connections
Short waiting times
Less traffic jams
No more use of fossil fuels  renewable
energies
• Less noise
Our future system: Battery Swapping
Our future system: Battery Swapping
• Exchangeable batteries
 Battery switch stations
• Conveniently located charge spots
 In cities: 3 km
Outside of cities: 15-20 km
Highways: 40 km
Comparison
Built-in Batteries
Switchable Batteries
Limited Range
• Takes a long time to charge
Price
• Expensive (can cost more than
$10,000)
Capacity
• Lose their capacity over time
 owner has to buy a new
one
 car loses its value
Upgrades
• Upgrades very expensive
Unlimited Range
• No charging
 you get a fully charged battery
Price
• Customers only pay for the
energy capacity
• Car gets sold without the battery
Capacity
• Changing batteries
Upgrades
• Car-owner gets benefits without
paying
Company Better Place
• Network of electric car battery changing
stations (Israel and Denmark)
• Wanted to spread this model around the
world
• Went bankrupt the 26th May 2013
but: idea still alive  e.g. Tesla(LA)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=play
er_embedded&v=OHHvjsFm_88
The Better Place Concept
The Better Place Concept
The Better Place Concept
Advantages
• Cheaper for electric car owners
 they do not have to buy their own batteries
(- $10,000)
• Reduction of prices for electric cars
• Drivers do not have to leave the car during
swapping process
Advantages
• Takes less time than recharging the battery
• The entire process takes only 90 sec
• Do not have to pay for fuel
 only for the electricity they use
• Unlimited driving range
 network of battery switch stations
Disadvantages
• Takes lots of time and money to build the
whole system
• Battery swap stations: $500,000 each
• Every car: same size and configuration of
battery pack
• "problematic for hotly competitive car
manufacturers“
 obstacle for future innovation
The Tesla Concept
• Fast battery swapping (90 sec.)
• Announcement June 2013:
battery swapping station in each of the
supercharging stations
• Owners can pick up their battery pack fully
charged on the return trip, which is included
in the swap fee
Plans for the Future
• Worldwide transport network
– possible to change the “German” batteries in
other countries
 no more problems because of nonuniform
charging couplers
– Broken batteries can be exchanged everywhere
– Uniform prices and contracts
Plans for the Future
• Not only for cars
– Bus-swap stations at public places like the
“Bushof” in Aachen
– Different kinds of batteries for motorbikes,
scooters or e-bikes
References
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Information of the RWTH Aachen
Wikipedia.de
Electric mobility in North Rhine-Westphalia" Come on board, join the ride!
Düsseldorf 2011
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/02/expensivebatteries-are-holding-back-electric-cars-what-would-it-take-for-that-to-change/
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/resource_efficiency/about/roadmap/index_en.
htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/27/what-betterplaces-bankruptcy-tells-us-about-the-future-of-electric-cars/
http://www.dw.de/germany-miles-away-from-one-million-e-cars-goal/a-16832017
http://theenergycollective.com/zachshahan/240466/tesla-wows-again-90second-battery-swap-unveiled-video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OHHvjsFm_88
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VR3oLV4fdcE
http://unterkunft-reise.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/aachen.jpg
https://www.landesdatenbank.nrw.de/ldbnrw/online/online;jsessionid=F5BF238C
CCF400E7548231C44003F544.worker3?operation=startseite
Thank you for your attention!