In India, the market for electric vehicles is expanding. India has a large number of EVs. For a better and green future, it is critical for electric mobility companies to concentrate on strengthening the EV infrastructure.
To facilitate quick charging of vehicles, the companies have developed removable & swappable batteries. The electric vehicles now come in two configurations, one with fixed battery and another with removable battery or swappable battery.
Fixed Battery
Fixed batteries are commonly used in EVs in the current market. The battery is designed along with the chassis thus making it a fixed part of the vehicle. It can not be easily removed or replaced. Which adds safety, efficiency, and rigidity to the vehicle. As the battery is fixed, one does not have to deal with the uncertainty of receiving a faulty one at the swapping station. It provides a sense of ownership to customers and is a perception of good quality. The user needs to connect the vehicle to a charging station to charge it.
The fixed battery is a huge portion of the overall cost of the EV. It is heavy and adds a huge load to the vehicle. But battery technology is progressing very fast. A fixed battery can be outperformed by a newer commercial battery in a few years and cannot be upgraded.
Removable/Portable Battery
A removable battery can be easily taken out or detached by the user and can be charged at home or a charging station as and when required. It is user-friendly and convenient.
Removable batteries are really helpful for those who do not have charging outlets near their parking space, they can charge their batteries at home.
EVs with removable batteries are much more accessible vehicles for the majority of the population as they can be charged at any charging outlet. These batteries can be removed and charged anywhere so that electric vehicles can be charged quickly or conveniently.
Removable batteries’ repair costs are much lower than fixed batteries. Making any type of repair to a battery installed on the chassis of a vehicle is a much more complex and expensive task than doing it to a battery that is prepared for easy removal.
Swappable Battery
EV battery swapping is the quite opposite of charging the battery through a charger or charging station.
Battery swapping is a mechanism that includes exchanging discharged batteries for charged ones. EV users can swap out their dead batteries at swap stations for newly charged ones in seconds.
This provides the flexibility to charge these batteries separately by detaching charging and battery usage, keeping the vehicle in operational mode with negligible downtime.
It reduces concerns about driving range anxiety and charging time. It also helps solve the problem of setting up charging stations. In addition, it is a viable charging alternative that can help electric vehicle owners save money on battery purchases.
Instead of charging at a station which could take hours, it takes less time and requires very little infrastructure. Not only is this method extremely fast, but it’s also potentially more environmentally friendly than public battery charging stations.
Battery swapping is generally used for smaller vehicles such as two-wheelers and three-wheelers with smaller batteries that are easier to swap.
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