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O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7
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ill Battery Powered Vehicles
(BEVs) displace Internal
Combustion Engine Vehicles
(ICEVs) as the preferred choice for per-
sonal transportation? Will regulators force
a shift in vehicle technology to electric
propulsion for environmental reasons? I
believe the answer is yes to both questions,
and the rate at which electric vehicles are
adopted depends on the evolution of bat-
tery technology. If BEVs can achieve a
300 km range, recharge in 20-30 minutes,
and compete on price with ICE vehicles
in the same price category, then wide-
spread adoption will happen quickly, if
not, the change will be more gradual with
BEVs being introduced primarily through
autonomous ride sharing services, i.e. an
Autonomous "UBER type" service where
the longevity and low operating costs of
BEVs eclipse ICE vehicles.
Let's consider the state of the art in
electric vehicle technology, the different
approaches that the major players in the
industry are taking, and what materials
may be in particular demand based on
which company succeeds in the market:
TESLA, INC.
First off the mark is Tesla [TSLA-
NASDAQ], a fledgling California-based
company that has grown from a niche
manufacturer of an electric sports car to
the largest North American auto manu-
facturer, by market capitalization, in less
than 10 years. Its business plan is merely
to change the world by forcing the auto-
mobile industry to adopt electric vehicle
technology faster than would otherwise
happen. Tesla has started at the high end
of the auto market with a luxury sedan for
about $100,000 and a large SUV for about
$200,000, and has proceeded to introduce
a more affordably priced sedan in the
$50,000 range.
All three of these vehicles use the
same battery chemistry, a Nickel-Cobalt-
Aluminum (NCA) Lithium Ion battery
formulation which Tesla has produced
in small format cylindrical cells. It takes
about 9,000 of these cells packaged into a
large rectangular floor pan to make a Tesla
battery pack.
The performance characteristics of these
Electric cars, battery materials
and disruptive technology
by Alf Stewart
The Tesla Model S chassis with
powertrain and battery pack. Photo
courtesy Tesla, Inc.
