This topic was automatically opened after 6 days.
On current technology one might have to agree, but things may change soon. Tesla and BYD lead the charge in battery technology but there are other companies working on these issues.
-
In September, Tesla hosted a “Battery Day,” where it claimed new battery cell designs would give vehicles a 54% boost in energy density and range. Translation: EVs Tesla recently sold with a 300-mile range will soon sell with 500 miles of range at the same price point. (And this new battery technology could even allow Tesla to push entry-level cars down into the $25,000 range.)
Source: 10 U.S. Stocks Poised to Profit From the Self-Driving Vehicle Trend -
Capable of providing up to 350 km (217 mi) of range to an EV in 10 minutes or less
Source: PK350 | 350kW DC Fast Charger | Tritium
Thanks Galath - that’s interesting.
Yes things will change “in the future” - but not at the lowest cost for cars or distribution.
I’ve met the people at Tritium and they are doing good work.
However I don’t feel they will have a large market share - why ?
Slow charging ( say 12 hours) uses the plug in charger that came with the car and needs an ordinary powerpoint. This is ultra-convenient for most at either work or home. (ok not apartments and those without garages in inner CBD)
Faster charging ( say 4 hours) needs a $2000 wall charger at home or office and 4 hours is pretty convenient.
I’m arguing that consumer convenience triumphs every time.
Faster and Uber fast charging ( Tritium and Tesla ) require a huge power supply. Think of a school or factory with its own onsite Transformer. So the power they sell is quick, but not cheap because of the capital cost (land, parking land, major power connection capex and the fast charge connector + billing services).
And the EV batteries need to be pre -cooled and even then the fast charging is not good for their life expectancy.
The flag I keep waving and is hard for most to accept is that this is a paradigm shift. There is no logical reason to hold on to the old thinking of "filling the tank " every Saturday . But we do. ( ok yes for long distance travel, and for commercial vehicles but not for most of us)
When Auto Mobiles replaced the horse, then buggy whip manufacturers disappeared.
But coach builders adapted shifted into building car bodies and interiors.
EV’s will also cause a fundamental shift and business survivors will change their thinking.
Even EV charging companies haven’t made a full transition yet. Please recall this post when you see an EV charger with a tyre pump next to it. That’s when I no longer need to go to a gas station and the change is effectively complete.
I would say that it probably wins most of the time, but not all of the time. This is a point (consumer convenience) I’ve always wondered about, especially when I see people walking into a McDonald’s restaurant when they can simply use the drive through. Why do they do it? In fact, why do I sometimes do it. I don’t know.
Life expectancy from the battery is a thing that depends on a number of things and according to Piedmont Lithium’s (Mining company) website:
Different kinds of lithium-ion batteries offer different features, with trade-offs between specific power, specific energy, safety, lifespan, cost, and performance. As you change the amounts of metals used, you change the way each battery performs. - https://piedmontlithium.com/why-lithium/lithium-101/battery-101/
Probably right. Talking about cost, it’s worth mentioning that the government will likely replace your fuel tax (there won’t be much petrol to tax) with a Road User Charge (RUC) on your electric vehicle.
1 Like
