this post was submitted on 28 Dec 2024
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That is something that I wish would come true. This would also open EVs to the industry in some new ways. Currently it kinda sucks if you have machines that have to be able to run the whole day without big interruptions. When you're able to just swap the batteries in like 5 Minutes this machines don't have to rely on fossil fuels that much and are open to be replaced by electric ones.
What I'm thinking about are machines like tractors for farming. During the summer it happens that they are running for 8+ hours without interruptions. Building a battery this big will be quite challengening. However, if you're able to swap out the batteries after like 2 hours and then continue with work you effectively solved one of the biggest problems with not that much of a hassle.
These are all design constraints that need to be taken into account. Most EVs these days have heating and cooling on the battery pack, for the reasons you mention. Adequate protection for it is also certainly solvable.
Extended use is a more challenging need. I'll assume for a moment that the machinery uses as much power as an EV at highway speed, although I'm pulling that assumption out of nowhere. That would mean a comparable battery only lasts ~5 hours, and you need it to last 15+ (with a full charge happening overnight). Farm machinery is already very heavy - would the extra 4,000lbs for a triple-size battery be a solution? What about a battery trailer that is easily swapped? That could also create a different form of vendor lock-in, just like your power tools. I really doubt the same machinery is used all year long. Branded batteries are an effective way to keep customers from jumping ship on their next purchase.
Does the same machinery have to run all at once, or is this just how things have always been done?
These ideas obviously have problems, not the least of which is running enough electricity to the farms. But it's just engineering a design to meet the needs/use cases. I'm sure that John Deere, CAT, etc have all had conversations on the matter. I haven't seen them announce anything yet, though. That could mean they can't do it yet, they aren't ready to announce anything yet, or simply that they don't feel it to be more profitable.
Given Deere's infamous lock-in and the repairs needed for ICE, that doesn't surprise me.
That's certainly a problem I didnt thought about. Driving farming away from being forced to use fossil fuels devinetively is one hell of a challenge and I still have zero Idea on how to achieve this in some practical way.
Also I can only agree with you. Where I live the attitude that you should use something as long as it runs devinetively applies.