Sponsored

Upgradable battery packs

OP
OP
Tinker71

Tinker71

Well-known member
First Name
Ray
Joined
Aug 8, 2020
Threads
93
Messages
1,610
Reaction score
2,102
Location
Utah
Vehicles
1976 VW EV bus, 2007 Sienna, Tesla M3, Cancelled CT2 rez - holding for $65k
Occupation
Project Manager
Country flag
Well if you owned a 75d and wanted it to be a 100D. Third party can do the swap. Why would you want to do this? Your 8-year unlimited battery coverage is up and you want a better pack. You can take a salvaged battery that is in let's say 95% condition and put it in the other model.

I don't know about the ability to turn a 75d to a 100d , but I will agree that the economic are not there in most cases. Especially now with falling prices on the S and X.

I think you're talking about a 12 volt battery in a Ford. If you were to replace the EV batteries modules in a Ford in the battery that you put in malfunctioned and wrecked the car electronically or any other system, yes you would not be covered under warranty. Same thing in a Tesla. Now if you put that battery pack in and the windshield wiper broke that was under warranty you would be covered.
Again. I concede and I don't know. An advanced battery pack is very different. There will need to be a test case, and Tesla will probably fight it, but a fire would probably be blamed on the faulty battery not the Tesla or the charging station.

I know you're saying that somebody's going to come along with a third party battery that's going to be just as good and maybe better than the original older battery that's in every EV out there. I just don't see a business case for that. It's going to be very labor intensive. Many different models. Maybe if we got to some standardization of pack design across multiple companies maybe. A big maybe

Let's not confuse the Magnuson warranty act in the right to repair. They are two different things.

Tinkering is much different when one has to scale an operation. Profit margin is very slim. Customer after presented with new pack cost doesn't see the value. They buy a new car.

This isn't the most mature recycling like a 12v. So the money back on the core isn't there yet to make it a viable operation that is worthy of investing.
3rd party solutions only make sense with volume. I am contending there could be a million CT battery replacement candidates in 5 years if nothing changes on the bolt patterns inputs and outputs. Smaller more dense batteries are more apt fit in spaces occupied by larger batteries.

Trucks are more utilitarian. A stainless steel body should last a long time. There is more incentive to upgrade a CT than a 5 year old S.

If 4680 at the cell level come down to $60 per kWhr as predicted. Certainly someone can build a battery pack at $200 per kWhr and make some money.

As proven by Monroe, it is not labor intensive. Tesla has been criticized for their repair costs and are making improvements from bumper changes to battery's. They win, because warranty work is much cheaper too.

EV battery recycling is going to be easier than you might think. I don't see them separating NMC from LFP or BYD blades from Tesla. You grind them up and separate the elements with hydrometallurgical processes. Eventually the recyclers should have some input with the manufacturers to create a circular loop.

I think battery recycling should be required regardless of the economics, added to the price of the new battery if required. There will be too much hazardous waste otherwise.
Sponsored

 
 








Top