While I sypathize with Dan Marotta's point of view (and emphatically with John Hebert's) , I think a small dose of reality salts may be in order here.

1) Defective Lythium batteries are a SERIOUS fire hazard! And Lythium fires can be extremely intense. Would you want to schedule your trans Atlantic filght on an aircraft that due to “changing regulations” was carrying those defective batteries in its cargo hold? How would you feel if you were the captain of a container ship? Wonderful though those batteries are, they are still probably the Achellies Heel of the FES system.

2) The FES system (which I firmly believe to be the future of motor gliding) is still in its infancy. How large is the current FES customer base in North (South?) America? As that base expands, it may be reasoable to expect dealors to stock a limited supply of loaner batteries, Right now, probably not.

3) We all owe a debt of gratitude to the folks at LZ Designs for creating a remarkable advancement in glider power. Since it's inception the FES system has already gone through three design enhancements. And since Luca and his folks seem intent on further design improvements (rather than just sitting back and enjoying their profits), I think we can expect much innovation in a few short years. What will FES be like in ten years?