xEVs and lithium-ion battery trends (2)

Companies compete to develop batteries with a driving range of 500 km

2017/04/05

Summary
Cost requirements: VW seeks for USD 93/KWh, GM a USD 100/KWh battery pack
The war for battery development: Fierce competition between Japanese, Chinese, and Korean battery suppliers
Massive numbers of lithium-ion batteries: Orders between 2000 and 2025 hitting a maximum of 1900 GWh??!!
Anticipation of increased battery performance in the future: Increasing driving range per charge from 300 km to 500 km

Summary

(GM's 2017 Bolt EV: press release)

Will EVs, of which a total of 1.09 million vehicles were sold globally in 2016, continue to grow over the next 10 years to replace internal combustion engine vehicles? How much will batteries, the core technology of EVs, improve in performance? This report is the 2nd part of a series covering the Rechargeable Battery Expo seminar hosted by Battery Japan, and will introduce battery costs and OEM's demands for increased performance. According to SNE Research (a Korean research firm specializing in rechargeable batteries, renewable energy, EVs, and LEDs), cost demands for OEM battery packs are USD 102/KWh per pack.

GM is aiming to develop a USD 100/KWh battery pack by 2020 as part of its cost reduction goals for the Bolt, which was launched at the end of 2016 as a 2017 model. The target cost for VW's MEB (next-generation EV project) is USD 93/KWh per battery cell (as of 2020). Can battery suppliers meet the cost and performance demands of OEMs, and provide a stable supply?