How to Automatically Change an Electric Car Battery for $500K

Better Place, the electric vehicle company that's promoting a subscription car model (where you pay for the energy you use, and get the car for a low price, or for free-like a cell phone) has unveiled a prototype automated battery changing station. Because the range of electric vehicles is limited compared to most gas-powered cars, a network of such stations would be essential to allow for any sort of extended car travel-something we're fond of in this country. The good news? The change happens in less time than it takes to fill up a regular car's gas tank. The bad news? The prototype cost half a million dollars to build. Still, it feels like progress.[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKA4GhVn0a4&feature=player_embeddedVia Engadget.