> I want to pay for "battery as a service", I don't need to own a battery, I don't want to charge it
Renault in Europe are part-way there with their EVs ( the Fluence, Zoë and Twizy ) You buy the car but pay a battery-lease to Renault each month, when the battery capacity falls below 80% they call you in to a garage and swap-out the pack.
You still have to pay for charging, though.
The Renault approach appears to be appreciated by people who are dabbling in EVs as a hobby ( e.g. wealthy folk in leafy areas of London ) but is offputting to people looking to replace their internal-combustion cars. £70 minimum per month for rental + cost of charging quickly exceeds the cost of diesel in the UK.
Renault in Europe are part-way there with their EVs ( the Fluence, Zoë and Twizy ) You buy the car but pay a battery-lease to Renault each month, when the battery capacity falls below 80% they call you in to a garage and swap-out the pack.
You still have to pay for charging, though.
The Renault approach appears to be appreciated by people who are dabbling in EVs as a hobby ( e.g. wealthy folk in leafy areas of London ) but is offputting to people looking to replace their internal-combustion cars. £70 minimum per month for rental + cost of charging quickly exceeds the cost of diesel in the UK.