Why charge an EV when you can just swap its battery?

But the idea is that you don’t own the battery. You essentially rent it. The battery owner has high incentive to keep the battery good shape, to maximize their return, and to recycle the rare earth elements. The swap station can charge the battery slower than if you were dropping in, perform more sophisticated diagnostics, and ensure batteries are removed from circulation before they become problems.

> The only way I see this being remotely viable is some service where I "drop my battery off" on my way to a destination

You use a battery subscription and swap the battery at swap stations. Nio's cars can swap the battery in six minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmWL1hZQmD0

You can upgrade or downgrade your battery as needed for cheaper subscription payments. Nio has three battery sizes you can swap (75 kWh, 100 kWh, and 150 kWh). You can pay less for 75 kWh or pay more for 150 kWh.