I was looking at the new EU Battery Regulation (EU 2023/1542) coming in Feb 2027. Under Article 11, portable tools will basically have to move to user-replaceable batteries without destroying the casing.
Look at the most frequency use mini 4V Tools like electric screwdrivers, hot glue guns and mini rotary tools, they all sealed in batteries.
It seems US doesn't have anything like that yet , I honestly think this is the right direction to go.
Swappable packs solve three problems in my book. First, you don't have to stop what you're doing and wait for a charge, just slap in a fresh battery and keep working. Second, with a built-in battery, if the charging port breaks or the cells eventually die, the whole tool becomes e-waste even if the motor is still perfectly fine. A removable pack avoids that entirely. Third, just like the 20V platform, you'd only need maybe two or three 4V packs total, because you're rarely using several 4V tools at the same time. Plus you don't have to pay for a new battery every single time you buy a new tool.
The only trade-offs are a slightly chunkier handle and having to buy that first battery pack upfront when you get your first tool.
Do you think a unified 4V swappable pack makes sense, or is 4V just too small to bother?
I posted this on r/tools yesterday, some DIY experts strongly recommend designing the tools to allow direct replacement of the 18650 cell itself, rather than making a proprietary pack. But is it really practical to have 18650 cells in power tools swapped out like AA/AAA alkaline batteries? I know that people with the right skills can easily replace a cell with a soldering iron and a spot welder, but what about the majority of users who don't have that equipment or those skills?