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300 Mile Range at Less Than $250/kWh

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WhiteKnight

_____ P85 #549 _____ Sig Red / Sig White
Jun 27, 2011
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Funds to Help Create EV Batteries with 300 Mile Range at Less Than $250/kWh

Palo Alto, Calif., August 11, 2011 – Nanosys, Inc., an advanced materials architect, today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded it funds to refine and bring to scale its SiNANOdeTM materials for the automotive market. These innovations will enable Electric Vehicles (EVs) to travel 300 miles on a single charge. In addition to the primary DOE award of $4.8 million, approximately $6 million will be spent, through sub-awards and matches by the DOE and Nanosys, in the development and commercialization of advanced material technologies and manufacturing in the United States.


Commercialization of High-Capacity Electric Vehicle Battery Materials by Nanosys Approved for by DOE in $11 Million Program


So it sounds like Tesla might be able to lower the cost of the 300 mile option at some point (or greatly improve their profit margins)!
 
Tesla states that they are looking into new battery chemistry all the time, but would only use well-proven, mass-produced cells for their battery packs. Tesla is even resenting from using the latest 4Ah 18650 cells from Panasonic for Model S and goes with the 2010 generation (3.4Ah or so) for its 2012 car.
Some brand new material now will face several years of development, scale-up of production, and drive down of costs. By that time (2016?), a 300 mile pack will be old news for Tesla Model S.
There is steady progress in improving batteries but it seems to be a tough job.
 
Tesla states that they are looking into new battery chemistry all the time, but would only use well-proven, mass-produced cells for their battery packs...

Perhaps they are moving on a bit from that position.
Did you watch this video?:

There are suggestions that the Model S cells will be more customized for/by Tesla.
Projections of volumes of EVs sold suggest that they could soon become a major destination for cell production, and no longer just trying to ride on the economies of scale related to laptop production.
 
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...
There are suggestions that the Model S cells will be more customized for/by Tesla.
Projections of volumes of EVs sold suggest that they could soon become a major destination for cell production, and no longer just trying to ride on the economies of scale related to laptop production.
The automotive industry – more specifically, plug-in vehicles – will be the driving force for demand for lithium-ion batteries by 2015, surpass the laptop computers that today hold the top spot.


http://green.autoblog.com/2011/08/24/lithium-ion-vehicle-batteries-to-outnumber-laptop-computer-packs/

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I posted in another thread a few days ago that you can buy 18650 cells at retail right now at a cost of $416 per kWh ( yes that does not include packaging, cooling and battery management electronics ). Where do these stupid analysts keep coming up with bullshit charts showing that lithium ion batteries are more than $1000 per kWh?
 
I didn't even notice before that the price is lower if you buy more than 10 units, since you need 3000+ ( its a 2 cell retail package ) to make a Tesla pack, you surely would. The price is $3.065 per cell if you buy them that way and then your cost per kWh is down to $349.


Remember! There are retail prices! Tesla is undoubtedly using higher quality cells but surely Tesla can do better than these retail prices.
 
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I think they get their charts from http://www.opec_r_us.com :wink::biggrin:

I posted in another thread a few days ago that you can buy 18650 cells at retail right now at a cost of $416 per kWh ( yes that does not include packaging, cooling and battery management electronics ). Where do these stupid analysts keep coming up with bullshit charts showing that lithium ion batteries are more than $1000 per kWh?
 
TEG - Thanks for the video.

This is the first time I have heard of Tesla's vision to manufacture most components on site, including cells. Also to recycle components and entire vehicles on site. Sounds like Elon wants to replicate Henery Ford's world famous River Rouge site, only this time with recycling also. Very Interesting.

GSP