Electric vehicles (EVs) are getting less expensive simply due to more being built. Unfortunately, one of the major costs is the battery and delivery systems for charging. Improved battery chemistries and new approaches to the technology are helping to decrease the cost. Companies can pursue other avenues, such as battery as a service (BAAS), which can help reduce the overall cost of the vehicle to the end user.
EVs have the advantage of being a zero CO2 emission system, but that's when it's running. Significant CO2 emissions are associated with the supply chain, including details like mining, material refining, and production. There's also the issue of land, air, and sea transportation of materials to create the car as well as the battery.
This video webinar examines the strategies to address these challenges that can help achieve large-scale decarbonization in the long term. This is a major task that requires industry participation, including the adoption and scaling of new technologies.
Chapters
You can watch the video (above) from start to finish or jump to a section that's of interest. Below are the chapters, and there's a chapter listing on the bottom right of the video controls where you can select a chapter. Likewise, the chapters are marked on the video timeline control.
- Improving the EV Total Cost of Ownership (00:00)
This is an overview of the different issues and basic approaches to addressing cost in EVs. - How to Get More Affordable EVs (04:35)
There are a number of ways to go that together will make EVs less expensive in the long run. - Scaling Batteries for Consumer Demand (14:51)
Open ecosystem collaboration will help ensure battery manufacturing keeps up with demand, while wireless battery management will enable state-of-charge and state-of-health measurement throughout the life of the battery to inform reuse and recycling practices. - Impact of Battery Chemistry (19:15)
Lithium-ion batteries are being used in most EVs, but even that technology is improving. - The Battery as a Service Model (22:46)
Right now, the cost of buying an EV includes the upfront cost of the battery. BAAS moves the ownership to an organization that can essentially lease the power to the EV owner, leading to a lower purchase cost. - Bidirectional Charging (28:58)
Bidirectional charging enables the batteries in the EV, or in stationary battery facilities, to return energy to the grid.
Participants
- Chirag Patel, Director of Electrification Software and Ecosystems, Analog Devices
- Richard Colley, VP of Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Arrival
- Erik Severinson, Head of Industrial Strategy, Volvo Cars
- Moderator: Asif Anwar, Director, Strategy Analytics