This was over a month ago, but I still think it’s fitting as an electric vehicle. Reminder that it’s possible to power cargo ships using batteries and electric motors.
This was over a month ago, but I still think it’s fitting as an electric vehicle. Reminder that it’s possible to power cargo ships using batteries and electric motors.
The article says the batteries are in 10 shipping containers, so one charging option is to simply swap uncharged for charged, like a ginormous flashlight.
I didn’t clock that “containerized” meant “in shipping containers”. That sounds much bigger than I estimated.
Also never heard of shipping container batteries, but I bet/hope that becomes the standard. There could be networks of solar/wind farms spanning the ocean, charging batteries that ships swap out during their voyage. The more stations, the less battery weight ships have to lug around. Trains could use them too. That’s cool.
It is such a wasted opportunity that EVs didn’t end up internally standardizing batteries to some sensibly sized modules.
When the battery pack is an unit that weighs hundred of pounds and costs thousands, they buyer gets well founded anxiety on whether these will be available for earlier models or any by emerging manufacturers.
If EV batteries had even a few different types of interoperable chunks it would be quite a bit better.
I mean, a standard petrol car may have a whole engine worth ≈$1000, expensive parts a few hundred and of manageable size.
The logistics (a single EV battery pack will trigger stringent dangerous goods shipping restrictions in most jurisdictions) and ROI of battery packs as whole units just do not mesh with the aftermarket economy, and I think it should have been given more thought to ensure and improve the long term sustainability of EVs.
Same, I figured they were running on _Dock_er.
Great, its Christmas morning, you excitedly unwrap you present. It’s a new container ship! Then you read the dreaded phrase on the box: “Batteries not included. Requures 10 container batteries”. You rummage around in the odds-and-ends draw in the kitchen (we’ve all got one), but you can only find 9. Christmas is ruined.
ETA: This is actually a very cool design. Being able to swap the batteries with normal cargo handling facilities will be a huge boon and keep these ships moving.