Tesla Announces 90-Second Battery Swap, Available Later This Year
Always one to push the envelope, Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduced the American electric automaker’s 90-second battery swap tonight at an owners only event.
Being offered as a faster alternative to charging, Tesla demonstrated its 90-second battery swap tonight at its design studio, where it beat a traditional gas pump. The demonstration swapped a fully drained Tesla Model S battery for a fully charged one in a little over 90 seconds.
SEE ALSO: Is Tesla’s Secret 5 Minute Charge Just a Battery Swap?
Tesla plans on rolling out the $500,000 stations later this year and owners will be able to just stay in their cars the entire time while the swap takes place. On the return trip, owners can swap the battery back for their original or get billed for the difference. Musk mentioned at the event that the service will be offered for the price of about 15 gallons of gas at the going local rate. Naturally, the batteries will vary over time on whether you get a new or used one, but Musk reassured that you can always get your original battery back if you’d like.
The first stations are planned for frequent and busy freeways such as the I-5 in California.
See more in the official Tesla video below.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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