However fast forward to today, it seems that Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk isn’t entirely convinced that this is the right way to move forward. Speaking at Tesla’s shareholder meeting today, Musk does not seem to think that the battery-swap program could be worth expanding down the road as based on what he can tell, people seem to prefer the Supercharging method instead.
According to Musk, “We built the pack swap into the car because we weren’t sure if people would want to choose the pack swap or not. We thought people would prefer Supercharging, but we weren’t sure, so that’s why we built the pack swap capability in. And based on what we’re seeing here, it’s unlikely to be something that’s worth expanding in the future, unless something changes.”
As it stands the battery-swap program is by appointment-only. This makes sense if you’ve a trip planned already, but at the same time how many people actually make an appointment to refill their cars with fuel? So perhaps it might make sense to drivers who plan their trips, but for drivers out on a regular day-to-day basis, it seems a little inconvenient and silly.
The company isn’t pulling the plug just yet but based on Musk’s statement, it certainly sounds like the program might not necessarily have the brightest of futures.
Filed in Tesla.
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