Business Jun 27, 2023
A second life for EV batteries? Depends how long the first is.
Demand for used batteries for storage is likely to soar as intermittent renewable energy takes on a bigger role.
Demand for used batteries for storage is likely to soar as intermittent renewable energy takes on a bigger role.
Technological advances have reduced the performance gap with more widely used materials.
Musk believes the company needs to radically rethink conventional manufacturing methods in order to build more affordable — and profitable — electric vehicles in higher volumes.
Battery packs can cost tens of thousands of dollars and represent up to 50% of an EV's price tag, often making it uneconomical to replace them.
Tesla, once one of the auto industry's biggest money losers, has over the past year built a commanding lead over most major rivals in profit per vehicle.
The EVs of the future could shift to sodium-ion or lithium sulfur battery cells that could be up to two-thirds cheaper than today's lithium-ion cells.
Human supervisors, monitoring video feeds from multiple autonomous vehicles ready to step in and get stuck robot drivers moving again, may be needed permanently.
The current scramble is likely to feed further dealmaking in the sector as tens of millions of units are installed globally over the next decade.
Swappable batteries have been a hit for e-scooters and e-bikes, making it easier and cheaper for rental companies to keep the small vehicles available on city streets.
China is pushing hard for swappable batteries for EVs as a supplement to charging, with the government throwing its weight behind several companies advancing the technology.