New report on future of electric vehicle battery costs and performance
Sat 14 April 2012
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A new report,commissioned by the Committee on Climate Change focuses on the future of battery performance and cost for electric vehicles. Published by Element Energy and supported by Axeon, the report's findings are based on a new detailed cost model of all components of EV battery packs, built after consultation with the industry.
It is widely recognised that electrification of drive-trains will be a key aspect of decarbonising road transport, which in turn is required for the UK to meet its medium and long term GHG emission reduction targets.
Batteries are a key component of electric vehicles (EVs) in terms of both vehicle performance and cost (hence sale price). This research reviews the current state of the EV battery market and presents projections of future costs and performance to 2050. The team benefited from the expertise of Europe’s largest independent pack assembler Axeon as well as the input of a recognised world leading expert on lithium electrochemistry: Prof. Peter Bruce from the University of St Andrews.
The report reviews existing state-of-the-art battery cost models and contains a technology roadmap of future lithium-ion chemistries that allows findings to reflect the current R&D efforts. Cost and performance of post-lithium-ion batteries are projected based on an assessment of lithium-air batteries, the most promising technology in terms of energy density.
This research forms an important aspect of the Committee on Climate Change’s analysis of the relative costs of alternative low carbon vehicles from 2020 to 2050 and will be used to support the Committee’s recommendations on the types of vehicle that are most likely to deliver cost-effective emissions reductions in future.
Element Energy were the authors of a report for the LowCVP in 2011 which focused on the life-cycle costs of electric and other vehicles compared with their conventional counterparts. Click here for more information about that report.
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