Tesla patented a device for quick replacement of batteries

22 September 2017

The new mechanism will allow to leave a discharged battery and receive a fully charged

On the site patent and trademark United States had discovered an application from Tesla, which describes the mechanism allows to replace the battery. It is noteworthy that the American company had previously talked about something similar.

In 2013, Elon Musk (Elon Musk), the head of Tesla, with a pomp presented the technology for quick battery replacement. Then it seemed that the problem of long charging solved: why wait for hours at the outlet, if you can just stop by a special station, where the process of exchange the depleted battery for a fully charged takes only a minute and a half? Even a tank similar to the Tesla Model S sedan of business class will fill up longer.

At the end of 2014 in California opened the first Battery Swap station, but it is not lined up. For the first months only a few people took advantage of her services, but none of them came twice. Subsequently, this point was closed, and in 2015, Elon Musk announced that the idea of replacing the batteries was a dead end, while quick-charging station Supercharger began to grow across the country like mushrooms after a rain.

However, in the new patent describes a slightly different device. If the original system Battery Swap electric vehicle just went on a special platform and stood on the spot, in this case the lift is used. One of the key differences from conventional mechanisms is a more accurate positioning of the vehicle.

To remove the old battery and put new expected with the help of special devices. For the operation of this installation requires at least one operator, while in Battery Swap it all happened in a fully automatic mode and in just 1.5 minutes. In the new application indicated that the whole procedure takes 15 minutes (in fairness, we note that the rare users of Battery Swap noted that in reality, the station operates with an electric car about 10 minutes).

Perhaps Tesla is developing a more affordable alternative to Battery Swap: the station cost quite expensive — about 500 000 dollars. The new plant will be not only budget, but also mobile: the patent describes the possibility of installation on the platform of freight trailer. So if the owners of Tesla electric cars do not go for new batteries, the new battery will go for Tesla owners.