I have some interest in this, as well. I have no regular use for a 100 kWh battery, but would love the option to rent extra modules for the rare trip. With the range claims of the Aptera, rental modules certainly won't see too many cycles. NY to LA and back would only cycle the pack 6 or 7 times.
Not sure whether or not it will be possible, and from what I heard the founders say in a video, they are not sure it would be possible, as structural supports may be built into the body to fill any space not taken by a smaller battery.
I'd expect that swapping batteries on any EV would be close to as difficult as swapping engines on your old car. In other words, perhaps a full day's work. We are taking about the heaviest thing in the vehicle, weighing hundreds of pounds, perhaps close to half a ton. The thing is liquid cooled so it would require a coolent flush on top of all the mechanical and electrical connections.
Doing a battery coolant flush on my Chevy Volt requires special pressure pump equipment. Lots of tiny cooling pipes that need to get flushed of any air bubbles. Air locks in pumps can keep them from working and burn them out, so getting the air out is important.
The Aptera is cooled by running coolant through microfluidic channels in its skins, including in its belly. So if you need to remove it to get to the battery, they will have coolant connections to flush out as well.
Adding/removing/swapping battery modules would definitely be a job for a couple of trained techs. If each module runs at full voltage and they get paralleled together, then adding modules is electrically doable without replacing all of them. Each module, drained, would probably weigh about 220 lbs if they are each 20 kWh. The question is, how are they mounted in the Aptera? Given what we've seen of the chassis, the battery modules most likely ride inside the passenger cell, which means removing seats, center console, carpeting, and (hopefully) a fire barrier to get to the modules. From there, I would imagine that dead space bracing would simply unbolt and lift out and the modules dropped in their place and connected.
One thing Mitsubishi learned when producing the i-MiEV, is that a lot of manufacturing cost can actually be saved by making all the factory options standard equipment. They did this for the 2014 US model, producing a single, better trim level that was $6,000 cheaper than the 2012 base model. Tesla takes a similar approach by building most hardware into the car and locking out unpaid options in software (obviously motors and battery vary with each car). With this, given the four different battery options if I were in the designer's shoes, I would design the cooling manifold in every Aptera to be capable of the 100 kWh battery, which each module's connections being self-closing quick releases so that minimal coolant drains/refills are necessary. The trick would be voltage-matching the modules. Perhaps each module connection has a separate pair of contactors, and a service mode will individually fully charge each module before paralleling them.
hi, same question, if i start with the small battery, is it possible to upgrade ? are there price for export to Belgium ? very interested
I have some interest in this, as well. I have no regular use for a 100 kWh battery, but would love the option to rent extra modules for the rare trip. With the range claims of the Aptera, rental modules certainly won't see too many cycles. NY to LA and back would only cycle the pack 6 or 7 times.
Not sure whether or not it will be possible, and from what I heard the founders say in a video, they are not sure it would be possible, as structural supports may be built into the body to fill any space not taken by a smaller battery.
I'd expect that swapping batteries on any EV would be close to as difficult as swapping engines on your old car. In other words, perhaps a full day's work. We are taking about the heaviest thing in the vehicle, weighing hundreds of pounds, perhaps close to half a ton. The thing is liquid cooled so it would require a coolent flush on top of all the mechanical and electrical connections.
Doing a battery coolant flush on my Chevy Volt requires special pressure pump equipment. Lots of tiny cooling pipes that need to get flushed of any air bubbles. Air locks in pumps can keep them from working and burn them out, so getting the air out is important.
The Aptera is cooled by running coolant through microfluidic channels in its skins, including in its belly. So if you need to remove it to get to the battery, they will have coolant connections to flush out as well.
Adding/removing/swapping battery modules would definitely be a job for a couple of trained techs. If each module runs at full voltage and they get paralleled together, then adding modules is electrically doable without replacing all of them. Each module, drained, would probably weigh about 220 lbs if they are each 20 kWh. The question is, how are they mounted in the Aptera? Given what we've seen of the chassis, the battery modules most likely ride inside the passenger cell, which means removing seats, center console, carpeting, and (hopefully) a fire barrier to get to the modules. From there, I would imagine that dead space bracing would simply unbolt and lift out and the modules dropped in their place and connected.
One thing Mitsubishi learned when producing the i-MiEV, is that a lot of manufacturing cost can actually be saved by making all the factory options standard equipment. They did this for the 2014 US model, producing a single, better trim level that was $6,000 cheaper than the 2012 base model. Tesla takes a similar approach by building most hardware into the car and locking out unpaid options in software (obviously motors and battery vary with each car). With this, given the four different battery options if I were in the designer's shoes, I would design the cooling manifold in every Aptera to be capable of the 100 kWh battery, which each module's connections being self-closing quick releases so that minimal coolant drains/refills are necessary. The trick would be voltage-matching the modules. Perhaps each module connection has a separate pair of contactors, and a service mode will individually fully charge each module before paralleling them.