Haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if this has already been posted or discussed:
The fleet idea makes a lot of sense, and the stations feeding back to the grid depending on prices.
I wonder if the long-term solution could be a dual model:
1. primary battery that works by charging - but it could become much smaller/lighter if it only needs to do more typical daily ranges (perhaps finding a better sweet spot of a weight to range ratio)...and bringing the costs down overall.
2. modular 'expansion' batteries available at charging stations (primary battery could also charge during the swap)
Obviously lots of other considerations (tuning a car to drive well at two very different weights), but I could see this easing consumer anxiety about having all the eggs in one big-ass expensive battery, and mitigate against degradation issues with the primary battery.
This might also let consumers right-size the vehicle to their needs. Does it make sense to pay upfront for and haul around an extra 500+ lbs of battery that you may only actually utilize a few times a year? It would also mean better allocation of raw battery materials.
And as battery tech improves, older generation EV's can get a bit of an upgrade with newer gen modular batteries - which may not be appealing to automakers in the long-run, but it could do a lot for re-sale value (it will be really interesting to see how the used EV market plays out).
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