Cloud Battery Swap Stations for Shared E-Vehicle Downtime
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for maintaining vehicle charge in shareable electric vehicles are inefficient, requiring significant operations teams, prime real estate, and vehicle downtime, leading to high costs and operational challenges.
Innovation Solution
A network of self-serviced battery swap stations connected to the cloud, allowing users to swap depleted batteries for fully charged ones at conveniently located, publicly accessible sites, eliminating the need for operations teams and reducing downtime through a mobile app-based authorization system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional charging methods are used for shareable electric vehicles, then vehicles can be recharged, but significant operations teams, prime real estate, and vehicle downtime are required leading to high costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to autonomously swap batteries at distributed lockers without requiring operations team intervention. Users simply insert depleted batteries into lockers and receive charged batteries automatically, eliminating the need for manual charging operations and reducing operational complexity while maintaining high recharging efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The charging function is segmented from the vehicle and relocated to distributed lockers placed at convenient locations. This separates the charging infrastructure from prime real estate requirements and allows parallel charging operations across multiple locations, improving productivity without increasing operational complexity
2Use of energy by moving object
If centralized charging facilities are established, then vehicles can be recharged, but prime real estate and significant space are required
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized charging facility is segmented into multiple distributed lockers placed at convenient locations throughout the service area. Each locker contains charging capacity, distributing the space requirement across many small locations rather than one large facility, thereby reducing the area of any single stationary object while preserving battery charging capability
Solution Approach 2:
Distributed lockers act as intermediaries between users and the charging infrastructure. These lockers are placed at convenient locations such as retail stores or community centers, providing battery charging access without requiring prime real estate for large charging facilities, thus reducing space requirements while maintaining charging capability
3Duration of action of moving object
If manual battery replacement is used, then depleted batteries can be replaced, but significant vehicle downtime and operations team involvement are required
Solution Approach 1:
Users independently perform battery swaps at distributed lockers without operations team involvement. The automated locker system manages battery storage, charging status, and exchange operations, enabling users to quickly replace depleted batteries with charged ones, thereby minimizing vehicle downtime and maximizing operational time
Solution Approach 2:
Batteries are pre-charged at distributed lockers before being needed by vehicles. The system proactively manages battery charging cycles and availability, so when users need to swap batteries, charged replacements are already ready at convenient locations, eliminating waiting time and maximizing vehicle operational time
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a method and apparatus for requesting a battery to be unlocked from an e-vehicle using an application for authorizing a user to unlock the battery. A request is received at a cloud-based server, to unlock the battery from the micro mobility vehicle. Authorisation data is provided, by the cloud-based server, if the user making the request is permitted to unlock the battery at the e-vehicle. Further, methods and apparatus for controlling a self-serviced battery swap station by a cloud-based server are described. In one example battery data may be obtained from a cloud-connected battery swap station and used to generate battery charging control data. In one example, the battery charging control data is sent to the battery swap station.