| > If you drive around in a city. You have no need for a big battery. It's dead weight and you pay for it in the form of more electricity cost. If you don't own but lease the battery and can swap it at will at one of NIO's swapping stations, you just do that before a long journey. Battery longevity is a concern for NIO, not for you. There's no free lunch. You're paying for that battery, either upfront, or through the rental. NIO therefore will choose whatever maximizes battery longevity, not whatever you think is best. If you're renting and don't own it, your ideas on battery weight are not relevant. The most likely choice for NIO to make is what Tesla does: give everyone a big battery, then charge them extra (and probably a lot) to unlock its full capacity. Li-Ion risks fatal damage if discharged too deeply. Especially if it's going to be rented, a safety measure against that would be making the car refuse to ever dip below say 20%, as well as refusing to charge above 80% or so. Then, for a special payment, or temporarily as a courtesy if emergency situations (eg, incoming tornado), you can have the full capacity unlocked. > Modern ones have batteries that likely outlive the vehicle. So long they're well cared for, yes. But if you don't own the battery, you might not care to take precautions. Hence, the owner will likely try to ensure by all means possible you can't kill it even if you try. |