An article in the New York Times (July 29, 2011) describes recently opened battery swapping stations by “Better Place” in Denmark. Oweners of electric vehicles lease batteries and drive into swap stations to replece batteries. A robot operated device removes the old battery and replaces it with a new one in under five minutes. By keeping charged batteries ready in inventory and leasing them to customers, the station decreases wait time to levels similar to gas stations.  But efficient operation will require car manufacturers to adhere to some standards – something that has yet to happen.  Will a leased battery approach enable faster adoption of electric vehicle technology ? Should these bettery swapping stations, that cost more than $ 3 million each, be subsidized to cover the environmental benefit they generate ? Should governments or other standard making entities step in to coordinate battery location and access standards across competing auto manufacturers ?