Autoline Daily Insight – EV Battery Prices Dropping Faster Than Predicted
May 4th, 2015 at 5:00pm
In each edition of Autoline Daily Insight we get in-depth analysis from insiders and experts on the issues that drive the news in global automotive industry.
Could electric vehicles be poised to compete with gasoline-powered cars? John McElroy gets an update from EV expert Chelsea Sexton on the state of battery prices and technology.
Visit our sponsors to thank them for their support of Autoline Daily: Bridgestone, Dow Automotive Systems and BorgWarner.
Share
Embed
Permalink
Comments (4)
May 4th, 2015 at 5:29 pm
Awesome new feature, Autoline. Tweet these segments out please, so we know when they’re up. (00psy!, I see you have) I wish Sandy Munro had spoken more about what his team learned from studying the BMW i3′s batteries.
May 5th, 2015 at 6:09 am
Very interesting! The unmentioned cost is the upgraded infrastructure required for so many electrical devices. Utilities are seeing their systems straining to keep up with peak loads and higher demand during off hours.
May 5th, 2015 at 2:17 pm
I think the infrastructure need is way less than some folks are posting/thinking.
If we use off-peak energy (that is currently being thrown away) the grid can handle loads of EVs. Also, fast charging infrastructure is not needed at all for most people.
I charge my ELR at night and have plenty of time to charge a larger-battery EV for my daily driving. The only straw man left is driving ‘coast to coast’ which personally, I have never done.
In reality, most EV owners also own several other vehicles for other specialties. I own a RAM HEMI for hauling and other non-car duties, for example. No way my Caddy would handle 20 bags of mulch.
May 5th, 2015 at 5:10 pm
Nice discussion. But I think $250/kwh is going to be WAY too high to make a capable EV competitive with an ICE vehicle. The upcoming Bolt is based on the Sonic platform and will start at $37,500. I’m sure it will be well equipped at that price so a comparable Sonic might be in the low $20ks. That’s a HUGE price disparity.