finally moving in the right direction, for electric cars?

A couple of years ago, I remember seeing a presentation on what seemed to me to be an outstanding model for dealing with the issue of electric car batteries.  It is simply this:

Since the battery is one of the most-expensive components, you do NOT include the price of the battery in the purchased car.  Instead, you subscribe to a battery-swap service (monthly-fee?).

Existing gas stations (who participate) would have Battery-swap stations, where you would simply drive in, present your credit card (or subscription card), and have a quick-as-a-bunny machine pull out your low battery and drop in a fresh one, and off you drive.

Obviously, there is a chicken-and-egg issue with setting up battery-swap stations around town (and along Interstate highways!!), but doesn't this make total sense?

If you elect to ALWAYS recharge your battery at home, you can cancel the swap-service after a while, but, given that everyone is already used to pulling into a gas station to get fuel, it's the same idea, and less hassle than plugging in at home.

In fact, the innovative folks at Tesla appear to be moving exactly there.   Cool, huh?

Man-O-Manzanita

Spending a couple of days in Manzanita, with doggie. This morning, despite clouds and the promise of drizzle (a promise that was indeed fulfilled), we hiked up the north side of Neahkahnie Mountain, a trail that, amazingly, I have not ever done in the 36 years (!) I have been meandering thru these parts.

Here's the start of the hike, looking back towards Cape Falcon (all photos via cell-phone - sorry).

Big old trees and ferns along the trail.

A (more) open area nearing the top.

And, this afternoon, down on the busy, busy beach.

Back to Portland tomorrow.