Economic Reasons to Use Battery Switching Technologies |
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Ezra Drissman
October 24, 2009
Ezra Drissman
http://www.GreenCareersGuide.com
Battery switching technologies make it cheaper and easier to own an electric vehicle. Without the battery, the cost of an electric vehicle (EV) is comparable to that of a traditional car without the problems of oil, gas, and maintenance issues. EVs are easier to maintain because when the leased battery is nearly depleted, it can be switched at a battery changing spot for a fully charged one. It is not even necessary to get out of the vehicle; it is all done for you.
There are other benefits besides simple convenience to battery switching technology.
There would be fewer oil imports that would result in less dependence on foreign countries. Currently, we import oil and are willing to pay whatever price is set by the sellers - prices that lead to gas prices that are beyond the reach of many budgets. The less oil that we need for our cars, the less dependent we are on other countries. A related benefit would be a better trade deficit. A University of California-Berkeley study estimates that the trade deficit could be lowered by up to $266 billion dollars by 2030 simply based on this reduced dependence on foreign oil alone (blogs.edmunds.com).
EV and battery switching technologies would lead to bigger and better investment opportunities for those who have the capital and the vision to do so. The University of California-Berkeley study also reports that with the right investing, the US could become a major player in the automotive battery exporting industry.
Higher employment and reduced health care costs are another benefit. New technologies create new jobs. The charging stations will need to be built, and as more EVs hit the road more stations will be needed. There will be a need for someone to haul the spent batteries back to a plant for recharging as well as making sure that a supply of fresh batteries is always ready and available.
Health care costs would be reduced because the pollution level would drop. For every combustion engine that is taken off of the road, a life could be saved by the reduced carbon emissions. In addition, reduced greenhouse gas emissions would be a viable benefit - how much would depend on the exact source of the energy used for recharging the batteries.
Reference: University of California Berkeley Study Says Battery Switching Model Would Accelerate EV Acceptance. Posted on http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2009/07
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