Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improving Air Quality
60
60
environmentally friendly methods of battery production and disposal. The
decline in battery prices is shown in Table 6.1 (Richter, 2019).
Research and development of batteries has been a very active area of investigation because of the significant value associated with batteries for EVs and
storage of energy for the electrical grid. The annual sales of batteries have the
potential to increase from $13 billion in 2017 to about $100 billion/ year because
of the global potential for EVs and energy storage in support of wind and solar
energy generated for the grid. Recent data shows that the average cost for EV
batteries was about $176/ kWh in 2018 (McCrone, 2019). Current EVs have as
much as 50– 70 kWh of energy storage for cars that are to be used for longerdistance travel. Electric buses have about 300 kWh of battery storage.
There is the potential for prices to decrease to $50/ kWh or less and for energy
density to double or triple. Thus, by around 2050, there will likely be EVs with
100 kWh of battery storage and electric trucks and buses with 500 kWh of
battery storage. At around that time there will also be more than 1 billion electric cars, more than 1 million electric buses, and more than 1 million large electric trucks in service. In addition, there may be of the order of 10 billion kWh of
energy storage in support of the electrical grid, in addition to the EV batteries.
There are challenges to address within all this progress, though. Along with
the current issues and trends, this chapter reviews topics related to batteries,
such as disposal of used batteries, the relationship between batteries and the
smart grid, and some of the future possibilities in battery technology.
6.2 Design/ Types
All batteries contain both a positive cathode and a negative anode.
Currently, the leading two types of batteries are nickel metal hydride
TABLE 6.1
Average price of battery packs for electric vehicles, 2010– 2018.
Year
Price ($/ kWh)
Percent Change (%)
2010
1160
–
2011
899
22.5
2012
707
21.4
2013
650
8.1
2014
577
11.3
2015
373
35.4
2016
255
22.8
2017
214
25.7
2018
176
17.8
Source: Richter (2019).
60
60
environmentally friendly methods of battery production and disposal. The
decline in battery prices is shown in Table 6.1 (Richter, 2019).
Research and development of batteries has been a very active area of investigation because of the significant value associated with batteries for EVs and
storage of energy for the electrical grid. The annual sales of batteries have the
potential to increase from $13 billion in 2017 to about $100 billion/ year because
of the global potential for EVs and energy storage in support of wind and solar
energy generated for the grid. Recent data shows that the average cost for EV
batteries was about $176/ kWh in 2018 (McCrone, 2019). Current EVs have as
much as 50– 70 kWh of energy storage for cars that are to be used for longerdistance travel. Electric buses have about 300 kWh of battery storage.
There is the potential for prices to decrease to $50/ kWh or less and for energy
density to double or triple. Thus, by around 2050, there will likely be EVs with
100 kWh of battery storage and electric trucks and buses with 500 kWh of
battery storage. At around that time there will also be more than 1 billion electric cars, more than 1 million electric buses, and more than 1 million large electric trucks in service. In addition, there may be of the order of 10 billion kWh of
energy storage in support of the electrical grid, in addition to the EV batteries.
There are challenges to address within all this progress, though. Along with
the current issues and trends, this chapter reviews topics related to batteries,
such as disposal of used batteries, the relationship between batteries and the
smart grid, and some of the future possibilities in battery technology.
6.2 Design/ Types
All batteries contain both a positive cathode and a negative anode.
Currently, the leading two types of batteries are nickel metal hydride
TABLE 6.1
Average price of battery packs for electric vehicles, 2010– 2018.
Year
Price ($/ kWh)
Percent Change (%)
2010
1160
–
2011
899
22.5
2012
707
21.4
2013
650
8.1
2014
577
11.3
2015
373
35.4
2016
255
22.8
2017
214
25.7
2018
176
17.8
Source: Richter (2019).