OG, I figured my post would stir a hornets nest.  All sides of a discussion must be considered.   Your term "climate change deniers" is a perjorative.  There are no such people.  My point above is that running through the whole discussion of EV and alternative energy sources, is this assumption that has become ingrained in our culture through popular media and government funded pronouncements that CO2 is BAD and if not quickly reduced, we are all doomed.  This, of course, is hubris and arrogance of the highest order.

I started the thread to ask about other's thoughts on an EV truck for long distance towing, and it has been a very good discussion.  Personal economic decisions are based on sound financials for the individual and delivery of function (value).  That is how a market economy functions.  I am glad to embrace the EV trend, but it must be based on sound economics, not emotional claptrap about how the sky is falling and we are all doomed if we don't embrace the current popular trend.

I appreciate all of the good information you have provided.

Each advocate of some form of energy technology has his/her own perspective and biases.  Those opposed to nuclear energy, for example, point to the waste disposal problem and claim that it is insurmountable.  They may be right, but at this point the question is still open.  The same for fuel cell technology.  It is filled with issues that make it problematical, but it is worth the effort to keep on investigating it.  EV's are no different.  It is a technology in its infancy and we would be well advised to keep an open mind in regard to all possibilities.  Battery swapping certainly has its detractors and complexities, but it is premature to absolutely rule it out.  Everyday, people currently working in scientific fields are coming up with new approaches and it would be just plain foolish not to keep one's mind open to the possibility of new discoveries.  StephenH, is right when he observes that what we think of as settled science today may not be tomorrow.  

I consider myself to be normally intelligent and aware of the ecology,science and usefulness of energy technology on a layman's level-not professional.

My plan is to continue using an ICE vehicle for our towing and use a hybrid or EV  for in town and short trips. we have suitcase portable solar panels for the Rpod and use them all the time.  We have a passive solar room on the south side of our house which adds to our heat system. We tried to get roof top solar panels, but as Stephen noted, we are not willing to lose all of our trees in order to get the necessary exposure. We live in the country and use propane powered appliances.

so I think our overall energy plan is viable for the present-maybe not the optimum, but a livable,workable and affordable compromise that  works for us. I would be happy to change IF/WHEN those energy changes make financial sense and correlate with our lifestyle.

Safe travels

Vann

In any case, we probably need to get back to discussing the merits of various electric vehicles and whether they are suited for towing and not stay on climate which has already led to discord.

  Thank you LO and OG for a very good discussion.  I have learned much and appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and thoughts, as for everyone else on this thread.

One underlying assumption in the discussion is that CO2 is BAD.  I am an Arborist by trade, so know a little about what makes trees tik.  They love CO2 and more is better.  The same for most all plants.

I don't think we have the capacity to understand the complexities of the earths atmosphere and geography.  Modeling is at best guessing and can be, at worst, dishonest.

I love the idea of EV's for many reasons, chief is the idea of moving the pollution source out of the urban areas and making our air healthier.  I have driven a hybrid for the past 6 years, and I look forward to an EV truck that makes economic and functional sense.  At that point, I most likely will be a buyer. 

Thank you again, for the good discussion and I learned a lot.

I posted the article because it was an interesting development in the evolution of EV's.  I am not, and have never, advocated that battery swapping is the only viable solution to the long range travel problem with battery powered vehicles.  It was nothing more than something interesting worth sharing.  I make no pretense at knowing all there is to know about alternative energy systems.  I leave it to people far more knowledgable than you, OG, to inform me about what new systems may be on the horizon.  

Anyone can shoot down ideas that others propose, especially when one's ego is involved.  The reality is that the technology is developing much faster and more broadly than even the self described "experts" are aware of.  It is entirely possible that some very talented engineers and scientists, who are actually doing real time research into non-fossil fuel energy development, will find solutions that no one ever thought of before, despite being told they're wasting time by people who retired many years ago.  

Some, myself included, like to look at new ideas as being like a glass half full, while others like to point out it is half empty.

We all could learn some lessons about simplifying our lifestyles, but I do not want to give up air conditioning in the summer or heat in the winter. I am too old to go out and chop and split wood. I did that while I was young and have no urge to do so again.

Honestly, we will never solve the problem of consumption of resources.  There will never be "enough" because it is human nature to always want more in a world of finite limits.  All we can do is muddle through as best we can and try to minimize the complications by keeping an open mind to ideas that may help mitigate the consequences of our materialism.  But I wax too philosophical in that.

Meanwhile, the increasing cost of raw materials and the increasing cost of the energy needed to process and, more importantly, to move them to where needed is making such conversion to alternative energy even more out of reach for the average person. We have not yet seen the full impact of rising diesel fuel prices, but it is hitting now. Prices of just about everything we need to buy are about to go through the roof.

Who knows whether Ample's system will succeed or whether someone will find better solutions?  But they are presenting a possible solution that may work.  Regarding their lack of penetration into large automotive manufactures, I didn't know that Nissan/Renault was an insignificant player in the automotive industry.  I was in Colombia last week and was surprised that this insignificant manufacturing company had about a quarter of the automotive market in vehicles on the road in metropolitan Medellin area.  

OG, apparently you didn't understand my saying that I'm not in the EV market.  I'm not looking for long range towing with an EV.  It simply isn't going to happen in my lifetime.  My point in posting the information about battery exchange is that it is simply a technology that may have some promise if it is explored and developed.  Your reply reminds me of the old elevator engineers I mentioned.

Yes, the USA is a big country that presents challenges for EV's.  We have just under 3.8M square miles in our borders.  China is close with a tad over 3.7M.  Both countries have similar distances to cover with major population centers densely packed and huge expanses of open sparsely populated areas.  Building charging options for the outlying areas in both countries will be a tremendous challenge for each.  I don't want to sound nationalistic, but I think we in the US are pretty clever folks and have the creativity to solve this problem.  Maybe I'm just a dreamer, but I want a better world for my grandkids too.

I had high hopes for fuel cells. however, transporting hydrogen of a sufficient purity to be used and not contaminate the catalysts needed to work still seems to be an issue. Pumping cryogenic hydrogen is going to require even more technology than battery swapping, not to mention what happens if there is a crash. Hydrogen burns almost invisibly when pure.

But for those who have to live with the reality of climate change, thinking outside the box, looking for the positive in possible solutions, not reflexively shooting down every idea that comes along, and supporting innovation in motive power options is what will help us find a solution to replace the ICE.  Many ideas will be proposed and will have to be tested.  Some will, at first glance, seem really great but will prove impractical over the long run.  Others may seem impractical at first, but will have the seeds of a long term solution that will bloom as we develop the technology.  

As with all new ideas, people tend to eschew change and find reasons why things won't work.  I saw this in the elevator industry.  Many of the old elevator engineers despised the demise of mechanical relay logic controlled elevators and pissed and moaned about the new electronically controlled systems, claiming they'd be unreliable and unsafe.  The reality was that they were outside their comfort zone and didn't want to admit that the technology had developed beyond their knowledge base.  This tendency exists in all forms of technology, whether elevators, computer systems, energy development, or transportation.  

If we are to progress beyond petroleum based energy, we need to embrace change and innovation of all sorts and forms, and get out of our comfort zones, where we are familiar with the existing technology but it may not be the best solution.  As for whether battery swapping will work, no one really knows because the technology is in its infancy.  The key to finding solutions is to embrace possibilities and explore them thoroughly, not to reflexively say no.  

One of the nice things about swaps, if they became common place, is that they'd vastly improve range for towing with an EV.  Of course, that depends upon whether there is an adequate infrastructure.

Meanwhile, perhaps a solid-state battery will be viable, but not any time soon according to this Forbes article:

The technology can exist for battery swaps, just like many do with propane tanks, if we set our minds to make it work.  As with all technological innovations, you can be negative and come up with a million reasons why it won't work, but clever creative people look for ways to make it work.  For my self, I'd like to see a viable EV industry here in North America.  

As for sharing tools, apparently you don't live in a community where there are tool lending libraries.  They thrive and are built on community sharing, just like public book libraries.  They are located all over the country, indeed, in many places in the world.  

Before you attack ideas, at least take a look at the CNBC report, which it appears that you did not do.

I agree the idea of exchangeable battery packs has been around for quite a while, but now there is a system actually in use that works well.  [StephenH, sounds like you didn't watch the video.  It might be worth a gander.]  There is absolutely no reason why basic battery shape and voltage standards cannot be set.  Again, if we don't do it, we can count on the Chinese doing it for us.