Tesla Unveils Its First Battery Swap Station

After launching superchargers, Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) on Friday unveiled its first swap station where customers can come and replace their depleted battery with a fully charged one.

CNBC’s Phil LeBeau recently reported on Tesla’s new swap stations.

"Tesla has announced that it has opened its first battery swap station in the U.S., frankly in the world," LeBeau said. "Remember, about a year and a half ago Elon Musk said, these were going to be the future for Tesla, at least part of the future, where you drive in your Model S and in 90 seconds robotic arm comes up from underneath your Model S, takes out your old depleted battery, 90 seconds later you have got a fully charged one. This is going to be operating in California mid-way between San Francisco and LA."

Earlier in the day, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk tweeted, "Pack swap now operating in limited beta mode for SF to LA route. Can swap battery faster than visiting a gas station.  Tesla blog out soon."

LeBeau explained the importance of these swap stations for Tesla, by saying, "The significance is, you look at shares of Tesla, keep in mind that if they can put up a lot of these battery swap stations around the country, in the future, theoretically, this eliminates that aspect of people saying look it's quicker to fill up at a gas station than it is to wait for a recharge."