Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) has released the results of its 2019 Battery Price Survey, finding that industry-weighted average battery pack prices have already fallen to $156 per kWh. This is over 13% lower than the 2018 average ($180/kWh, when adjusted for inflation), and BNEF foresees cost reductions continuing, with $100/kWh potentially being reached by 2023. Let’s dive in.
Tesla dominates the world’s electric vehicle market by any measure. The company’s Model 3 is currently the best-selling vehicle of any kind in Norway and the Netherlands, and it’s by far the best-selling electric vehicle just about everywhere in North America and Europe.
During Tesla’s most recent shareholder meeting, Elon said the company might get into another line of business — mining. He implied that taking control of the supply chain for the raw minerals used in its batteries might be a necessity as Tesla scales up production and adds more vehicles to its lineup.
Researchers at the Army Research Laboratory say they have created a battery that uses no cobalt or nickel and no flammable electrolyte that is lighter than conventional Li ion batteries but has the same or greater energy density.
At a closed-door meeting for the mining industry, regulators, and lawmakers in Washington, D.C., last week, sources tell Reuters that Sarah Maryssael, Tesla’s global supply manager for battery metals, said the company foresees a shortage of several minerals vital to electric vehicle production. Tesla is, thus, calling for more investment in the mining sector to stave off the coming shortages.
Fortum, a clean energy company in Finland, is working with Crisolteq to develop advanced technology that will allow up to 80% of the materials inside lithium ion batteries to be recycled.
Germany chemical giant BASF and Russian mining conglomerate Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) have inked a new deal for nickel and cobalt supply.
As if concentrating solar power isn’t complicated enough already, now they have to go and add more bells and whistles? Glad you asked! CleanTechnica has been contacting some of the funded projects to get the insider perspective on the Energy Department’s high temperature strategy. In this installment, researchers John Shingledecker and Cara Libby of EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute graciously took some time for a phone interview.
The state of electric vehicle (EV) batteries can get confusing. Although internal combustion engine (ICE) aficionados talk about engine displacement and horsepower, EV drivers often consider energy storage as the most important part of their decision making. Today, there are more lithium battery chemistries than ever and figuring out which one is used where and what appears after the dust settles can be difficult. Here’s a brief look at what’s in store tomorrow from the major EV battery OEMs.
Talks are now underway between RNC Minerals and a large number of financiers, mine operators, and commodity traders to begin developing the world’s largest nickel and cobalt project, company reps have revealed. The project will be in Canada.
