Tesla files patent application for battery replacement machine for electric vehicles
16 Sep 2017
Tesla may be working on a machine that would make battery replacement in an electric vehicle easier. In a patent application filed in May, the electric automaker showed how the machine could elevate a vehicle and then replace its battery pack with a new one. The patent filing was first reported by Electrek.
The electric car maker writes in the patent that the machine, the lift, could be monitored by at least one technician and could be installed in remote locations, such as a highway connecting cities. The machine would complete the swapping process of the battery packs in less than 15 minutes.
The patent outlines in specific terms how the lift could be used for Tesla's Model S and Model X vehicles, but it could also prove useful for Tesla's truck project. Tesla will unveil an electric semitrailer in October, and a machine of the type could keep fleets on the road for longer without wasting time at the charger.
According to commentators, it was only a patent application, so the machine might never actually be built. But it shows that Tesla is considering ways to keep electric vehicles on the road without spending so much time at the Supercharger station.
The patent specifically outlines how the machine could be used for Tesla's Model S and Model X vehicles, but it could also prove useful for Tesla's truck project. Tesla will reveal an electric semitrailer in October, and according to commentators, a machine of the type could help keep fleets on the road for longer without wasting time at the charger.
The system described in the patent application could be installed in a service station or integrated into a mobile rig. A Model S or X would either drive onto ramps or a lift where technicians would help swap the packs.
