Quote:
Originally Posted by gpsman1
PRICE is the obstacle. Right now, the raw materials for a 30 mile pack cost more than $20,000.
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Please read this independent report on the costs of producing lithium-ion cells:
http://www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/TA/149.pdf
When you look at an
ESTABLISHED lithium-ion format that is already mass-manufactured (the 18650 cell, rather like an AA cell used in phones and laptops), the raw costs of lithium-ion are LOW.
Look at the summary on page 34 for a breakdown of typical 18650 costs. You will see that each cell costs about $1.70 to make. As each cell contains about 8 Wh of energy, that's equivalent to
$213 per kWh, or about $1,300 for your 30 mile pack.
However, go and ask any specialised battery company to create a bespoke, hand-made experimental battery in an entirely new, vehicle size format, and the R&D companies will of course quote $20,000 per pack. That means absolutely nothing.
Once these things are mass-manufactured, there is nothing to stop them being as cheap (or even actually cheaper) than today's 18650 lithium-ion.