Chinese battery developer discloses new technology with lifespan that could revolutionize EVs: 'An industry first'.
A breakthrough in battery lifespan could help speed up the adoption of electric vehicles.
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd., the Chinese
battery behemoth, announced in April that it had developed a battery with a
warranty of up to 932,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) or 15 years, Electrek
reported.
CATL partnered with Yutung Bus Co. to manufacture the pack,
which is for commercial buses and trucks. The battery does not degrade in its
first 1,000 cycles, the latter company said, calling the technology "an
industry first."
While range anxiety is often top of mind for EV drivers and
those looking to divest from gas-powered automobiles, battery life is also a
concern. To produce EV batteries, lithium, cobalt, and other metals must be
extracted from the earth. This adds to the planet-warming pollution in the
atmosphere, which is the cause of spiking temperatures around the globe, an
increase in extreme weather events, and more intense disasters such as droughts
and floods.
Some people argue that this means vehicles with internal
combustion engines are better for the environment, wildlife, and our health,
but EVs are still much cleaner options than their counterparts. They produce
zero tailpipe pollution and come close to being squeaky clean if they’re
powered by renewable energy such as solar or wind.
And now, those expensive batteries — partly responsible for
high EV prices — may not need to be replaced. The development will likely only
increase CATL’s market share after its U.S. and European sales doubled last
year.
“China already dominates the EV battery market, with BYD and
CATL accounting for over 50% alone,” Electrek reported.
Another recent announcement by CATL had some commenters even
more stoked than the warranty news: It plans to reduce lithium ferrous
phosphate battery prices by 50% by the middle of the year, per Electrek.
"Who cares about 1m or 1.5m km when we can expect
500,000 km out of a battery TODAY," someone asked. "This is already
way better than your diesel or should I say DIEsel engine needing $1500 parts
replacing at 50,000km.
0 comments:
Post a Comment