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Few months ago, Bloomberg announced a new milestone in the Electric Vehicle sector. The news said that installed charge points globally have now hit over one million chargers. This is indeed an impressive number.

It causes me to think about battery swaps which is another means of accessing fully charged batteries for your electric vehicle. Battery swaps are also getting increasingly popular. The argument is that battery swaps saves time and reduces range anxiety in EV users. 

As the electric vehicle revolution increases, there are thoughts around charging models which keeps the vehicle on the road.

The main benefit associated with the swapping model is speed. The whole operation could take less than five minutes, pretty much the same amount of time many people spend filling their gas tanks at stations today. Another plus is not having to leave your car or deal with potentially tangled or dirty cords. You could sit in your vehicle while the operation takes place. Hey, maybe you got an email during the drive, right?

I think that battery swapping will come with it’s own level of concerns and complexities.

Indeed, battery swapping has its critics. A couple of drawbacks to consider might be the capitalization costs of building these stations and the batteries that they would have to have in stock. Some critics also point out the possible dangers of electrocution from a malfunctioning robot swap arm. Standardization of battery shape and chemistry is another consideration that gives one pause. 

And then there are charging stations. Giving drivers the convenience of charging their vehicles when they are away from home, charge stations have already been with us for some time and are now being installed in at a quickening pace. They offer the opportunity of adding range to your vehicle while you are working, eating or shopping. One of the main drawbacks to charge stations is speed.

What do you think? This article makes a great arguement.

Bloomberg announced that globally there is now 1 million charging points.

It is interesting to learn that the market leaders in this new statistic are China, Europe but more specifically the Netherlands and France regarding growth rates.

Bloomberg expects one in 10 vehicles purchased in 2025 will be battery-powered and by 2040, the world will need some 12 million public charging points and almost $400 billion spent on infrastructure. Of course, the plugs required will ultimately depend on how many electric vehicles are purchased; and vice versa.
In Nigeria Electric Vehicle sector, there is traction in the private sector already as some of them are trying to stimulate the their own business model. More to come on this.

In the case of charging stations or battery swapping stations, I think that both options are worthy to be studied closely.

But what do you think we should push for? Charging point stations or battery swapping stations? Please share your views in the comment section.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Glory’s life goal is to be a positive part of people’s lives and make good impact. She’s passionate about economic development of Nigeria and work in the field of renewable energy and environmental sustainability to promote Nigeria’s economic growth through job creation and education. She is the founder of Climate Smart Nigeria which promotes Climate Change Education in Nigerian institutions and provide capacity building on renewable energy technologies. Recently she established the Renewable Energy Technology Training Institute (RETTI) where she is also the Chief Instructor. The institute grooms the next generation of efficient installers and entrepreneurs with a focus on women who will serve as a competent workforce for the renewable energy industry and provide solutions to Nigeria’s prevalent energy problems as entrepreneurs.

Under Glory’s leadership, RETTI recently lauched eight short ONLINE COURSES to assist people wanting to get into the energy sector especially renewables.

Glory recently received the Florence School of Regulation’s – Lights on #Women #Award as one of four women out of 150 women from 64 countries. This award will granted her a featured interview with the FSR and a scholarship to study the course – #Electric #Vehicles (EV), a Power Sector Perspective and expand her knowledge about how EVs, #Charging #Infrastructure and the #V2X (Vehicle to Everything) concept will change the face of electricity and transportation.

Glory has published four books to promote the knowledge of climate change and renewable energy; Something is happening; Our world is changing; Understanding the Basics of Climate Change– for Secondary Schools – The Concept and Science of Climate Change – for the general adult public, A short thriller story – The Year Ran Mad – which depicts the impact of climate change on livelihood for Primary schools and The Girl who saw tomorrow, a short novel for secondary school – amzn.to/2TEYB1u.

Glory can consult for African government entities about regulation for Electric Vehicles.

MORE ABOUT GLORY

She is the recipient of several local and international awards and recognitions which include (a) Nigerian Star from the US Mission in Nigeria (2018), (b) The Nigerian Energy Champion Prize from the Nigerian Energy Awards (2015), (c) President Obama’s Mandela Washington Fellowship Award (2015), (d) The Young Energy Professional of the Year Award by Nigeria Energy Awards (2018), (e) A Foremost Woman in Renewable Energy award recipient (2017); (f) Environmental Award of Excellence, Environmental Community Development group (2014) In April 2019, Glory was selected
as one of 15 African female business leaders to attend United States Government’s launch of  the OPIC 2X
Africa and meet with advisor to President of USA – Ms. Ivanka Trump and the Ethiopian President – Ms Sahle-Work Zewde.

In the course of her work she has met and shared platforms with a number high profile personalities and leaders at the national and international levels, including President Barack Obama, US Senator Chris Coons, Advisor to President Trump, Ms Ivanka Trump, Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware USA, Ethiopian President – Ms Sahle-Work Zewde, The USG Undersecretary for Energy – Mr Mark Menezes and former Vice President Ebitu Ukiwe of Nigeria.

She is a consultant for Nigeria’s largest renewable energy event, the Nigerian Alternative Energy Expo. She was a former Vice President of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Association of Nigeria (MWFAAN), and is currently an active member. She’s an alumna of Abia State University, Nigeria, The Lagos Business School, University of Delaware, USA, European Energy Institute and The Florence School of Regulation, Italy.