CCC-battery-cost_-Element-Energy-report_March2012_Finalbis

Project Name Document Name Cost and performance of EV batteries Final report for The Committee on Climate Change 21/03/2012 Element Energy Limited 20 Station Road Cambridge CB1 2JD Tel: 01223 227764 Fax: 01223 353 475 Cost and performance of EV batteries Executive summary Background Deep decarbonisation of the road transport sector can only be achieved through the introduction of electrified drivetrains A key component within an electric vehicle (EV) in terms of overall cost and performance is the battery The Committee on Climate Change commissioned Element Energy, Axeon and Prof Peter Bruce of EastChem to investigate the future trajectory of batteries cost and performance This report describes the current state of development and cost of batteries, before mapping the future cost and performance of lithium-ion batteries out to 2030 The trajectory of battery technology beyond 2030 is investigated through the study of lithium-air batteries, currently the most promising post lithium-ion battery Current lithium-ion batteries: performance A range of battery chemistries have been deployed in EVs, most notably the use of nickel metal hydride in the Toyota Prius However energy density has emerged as the most important metric in battery design, leading to lithium family chemistries becoming the dominant chemistry for pure and Plug in Hybrid EV (PHEV) applications Currently, cells suitable for transport applications typically have an energy density of 100180Wh/kg, are available at a capacity of 40 Ah/cell, and (with careful thermal and operational management) may achieve 10 years of life in automotive operation Automotive cells cost ca $400/kWh but the actual cost of the battery system is higher due to the need for electronic and thermal management The whole battery system including cells, structural support, thermal management and electronic balance, is called the battery pack The cost of a battery pack for a pure EV is approximately $800/kWh, i.e double the cost of the cells alone Automotive cells represent only a marginal share (