
Why We Need the Uber of Energy - popwheel
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-we-need-uber-energy-rachel-koch/
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schiffern
> contractors driving trucks or vans, picking up Birds from sidewalks, once
> picked up they are moved to another location for charging.

> PopWheel converts an electric van into a mobile charging station for micro-
> mobility vehicles and electric cars

Wouldn't battery swapping be best for the e-Scooter case? Should greatly
increase vehicle utilization (since you don't have a stationary van while the
scooters charge), and requires much less labor, van space, and charging
facility space than hauling the bikes away to charge.

I can see how it makes good engineering/logistic sense for charging full-size
EVs (especially using direct DC charging from the traction battery via a DC-DC
converter), but not for e-scooter fleet servicing.

>with PopWheel, [EVs] will serve as the source of electricity with the
potential to power everything.

How does PopWheel see this evolving? In what space can "lug-atoms-for-energy"
possibly be competitive with HV grid transmission and decentralized solar?

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popwheel
Station supports battery swapping as well, initially we are supporting Genze
and few other PMV manufacturer's removable battery packs.

Scooters used by Bird, Lime and Spin don't have removable battery packs.

JUMP and LimeBike don't have removable packs for their e-bikes.

FordGoBike and Scoot have removable battery pack fleet, similarly HOPR cylce
is also moving towards battery packs.

Station can be stationary or moving (on demand), everything charges inside the
station so we don't have to change the location frequently.

Our station technology will also enable other manufacturers to move towards
swappable battery packs, as of now there isn't any infrastructure available
that enables hassle free battery swapping. PopWheel is building that
infrastructure, but the idea is to charge everything not just micro-mobility.

Decentralized Solar is also on our roadmap, we can be the new PG&E that
develops application specific infrastructure to deliver energy on demand.

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karmakaze
How is this the 'Uber' of anything? AirBnb was first, then Uber was 'the
AirBnb' of transportation which began a pattern, so we say the 'uber of _' in
reference to the sharing economy and it rolls off the tongue better.

PopWheel is just creating mobile charging infrastructure. We don't call Zipcar
the uber of anything.

~~~
popwheel
Appreciate your feedback, we will be releasing an app that would enable a
business to request "Station On Demand", in which the nearest available
station is routed to the location.

~~~
karmakaze
I see. Thinking over a longer term, you might better be described as the
'Netflix of power'. Right now it's mobile charging but the future will evolve,
and Uber isn't the best brand affiliation these days.

