The future of EV lies in quick-change batteries
THE PRACTICAL evolution of the electric vehicles industry must involve “quick-change” batteries, as opposed to the present practice of permanently installed, rechargeable batteries.
The present practice may be adequate for local personal and business use but has serious consequences for extensive daily use and long haul trips. The range of present EVs on a fully charged battery is somewhere between 250 and 300 miles. This may increase somewhat in the future, but it is unlikely to get close to a daily driving range of 600 to 800 miles. For long-haul trips, the present practice requires a 30- to 45-minute stop every few hundred miles to recharge the battery, which is enough to discourage many from going the EV route.
The quick-change option is compatible with both the casual local applications and the long-haul applications. For casual local applications, recharging an installed battery overnight would still be an option. For extensive and/or long haul applications, the quick-change option would be an advantage. This would promote the sale of electric vehicles for long-haul applications.
The quick-change option would require that all electric vehicles be designed with a standard battery package that would allow a low charged battery to be exchanged for a fully charged battery in as little as 10 minutes. Ten-minute stops on long trips are fairly common for driver comfort, rest room facilities and fast-food options.
… The battery package could be designed to indicate the level of charge in the battery and the number of times it has been recharged. A faulty battery could be replaced in 10 minutes or so at a battery exchange facility, where the cost of the exchange would be borne by the battery supply industry.
With the conversion to electric vehicles, gasoline stations, of which there are millions in existence, would become obsolete, and millions of battery exchange stations would need to be established. One reasonable option would be for gasoline stations to evolve into battery exchange stations as the need develops, thus allowing millions of filling stations to make the transition to the EV world. For every fully charged battery that they supply, they would be left with an uncharged battery that could be recharged for use the next day.
An interesting business option for the battery exchange stations would be to have an array of solar panels for recharging the batteries. This would enhance the profits of the battery exchange stations and help keep them in business. …
More power to the electric vehicle industry.
Donald A. Swenson, Physicist, Albuquerque
Get local governments to join climate grant program
NEW MEXICO recently confirmed participation in the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program, part of the Inflation Reduction Act that will support states and metropolitan areas in creating and carrying out plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the Albuquerque metropolitan area has not done so, and the April 28 deadline is fast approaching.
Residents of Albuquerque are encouraged to reach out to local officials to encourage taking advantage of this opportunity. In particular, these individuals and organizations should hear from you: Mayor Time Keller, your representative on the City Council, the city Metropolitan Development Agency and Sustainability Office, and Bernalillo County departments related to development services, buildings, sustainability and climate.
Your Citizens’ Climate Lobby state chapter — citizensclimatelobby.org/chapters/New_Mexico_Statewide/ — is available to answer your questions about this opportunity. Furthermore, we offer letter templates to help you craft an effective message to deliver via hard copy letter, email, phone call or even a Tweet.
Sara Mason, Los Alamos
Dump meat and dairy to reduce impacts on planet
On March 20, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its latest assessment, drawing on the findings of hundreds of scientists throughout the world. The assessment details the devastating impacts of rising greenhouse gas emissions including destruction of homes, loss of crops and fragmentation of communities.
Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 15% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, including nitrous oxide from animal waste piles, methane from ruminant digestion and carbon dioxide from burning forests to create animal pastures.
In an environmentally sustainable world, meat and dairy products in our diet must be replaced by vegetables, fruits and grains, just as fossil fuels are replaced by wind, solar and other emission-free energy sources.
Our favorite supermarket offers a rich variety of plant-based meat and dairy products. It enables each of us to reduce our carbon footprint, even as we improve our health and reduce animal cruelty.
Michael Gray, Albuquerque
