Tesla Motors unveiled a system to swap battery packs in its electric cars in just 90 seconds this week.
Company CEO Elon Musk believes that the new system will help "overcome fears" about the company's driving range for its flagship Model S electric vehicle.
"There are some people, they take a lot of convincing," Musk said at an event at Tesla's Los Angeles design studio. "Hopefully this is what convinces people finally that electric cars are the future."
The company will start releasing the battery-swapping stations before January, starting along the heavily-traveled route between Los Angeles and San Francisco. From there Tesla will be opening up one along the Washington-to-Boston corridor according to Reuters.
EVs haven't quite caught on with consumers yet because of their high price, charging infrastructure, and limited driving range. Tesla is determined to answer those concerns however, as they already announced earlier this year they'll be opening 100 charging stations in the U.S. by 2015.
The new battery pack swap will cost anywhere from $60 to $80, or around the same amount it would cost to fill up a 15-gallon gas tank.
Drivers who want to participate in the swap have to either reclaim their original battery on their return trip or pay the difference it would cost for a new pack according to Musk.
Musk demonstrated two different battery pack swaps in about four minutes, or the same time it took a car on a screen above the stage to full up with gas.
Musk told Reuters this week that the battery-replacement network would require an investment of $50 million to $100 million.
Stations will cost approximately $1 million to make according to Reuters.
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