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When it comes to EV success for automakers, the focus is primarily on solving the problem of range anxiety in EVs. The further an EV can travel on a single charge, the more attractive owning an EV becomes for the consumer. And automakers know this. Which is why as discussed in two earlier articles, there is a superbattery race going on right now that has scientists and engineers scrambling to be the first to build the best battery possible for EVs.
Related article: Why Lithium is Not Kyptonite for ICE Enthusiasts
Hybrids vs EVs
News of late, however, has it that despite the EV hype that is still going on, Hybrids are increasingly recognized as the better car type over battery-only EVs and gas-only vehicles.
In fact, according to a recent Reuters news report:
"Hybrids really serve a lot of America," said Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist at New York-based investment manager Ingalls & Snyder. "Hybrid is a great alternative to a pure electric vehicle (and) it's an easier sell to a lot of customers."
Interest in hybrids is rebounding as consumer demand for pure electrics has not accelerated as quickly as expected. Surveys cite a variety of reasons for tepid EV demand, from high initial cost and concerns about range to lengthy charging times and a shortage of public charging stations.
For an informative explanation of why hybrid vehicles are the better type, please take the time to read Torque News writer John Gorman’s recent insightful analysis of why this is so…at least for the time being.
An EV Future with a Twist
The point to why we are talking about hybrids in an EV article is that even if range anxiety does disappear with the creation of a superbattery, other EV battery related problems may still deter many consumers from jumping on the EV bandwagon.
Chief of which is the cost of replacing an EV battery that can run anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the make and model of EV.
But what if an EV maker were to find a way to bypass the EV battery problems of:
- Range anxiety
- Inflated EV cost due to expensive battery manufacturing costs
- Inconveniently long charging times
- Replacement EV battery cost anxiety
Would such an EV maker not just jump, but leap significantly ahead of the pack? And better yet, with irony by adopting and perfecting a technology Tesla abandoned years ago and thereby out Tesla, Tesla?!
According to a recent Scotty Kilmer YouTube channel episode, the Chinese EV maker NIO---referred to as “the Tesla of China”---is working hard to bypass the EV battery problem and gain consumers by selling EVs without a battery and implementing “battery changing” rather than “battery charging” stations as the solution to the aforementioned EV battery problems.
Currently, NIO is reported to be swapping out over 60,000 EV batteries every day!
Follow along with Scotty as he explains how a battery changing station solution works and the pros and cons of adopting this problem solver. Will Chinese EV makers win the race by finding a more practical solution than building a bigger and better mousetrap? Watch the video and consider whether the EV battery focus should be more on finding solutions with elegance rather than a brute force approach.
This New Electric Car Has No Battery and Shocks the Entire Car Industry
For additional articles related to EV batteries, here is a recent update about Tesla's Battery Evolution Comparing the 4680 and 2170 Cell.
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on “Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair” website, the Zen Mechanic blog and on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites and Facebook for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
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