"Better Batteries Coming Soon, Experts Agree: A Video Panel Worth Watching"
The formula is simple: Put three battery and auto-industry experts in front of a camera, ask them a few leading questions, and let them debate.
That's exactly what the Autoline Network did three weeks ago; the resulting 27-minute video is a must-watch for any electric-car enthusiast.
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The three panelists are Ann Marie Sastry, founder and CEO of battery maker Sakti3; Prabhakar Patil, CEO of LG Chem's North American unit, formerly of Ford's hybrid unit; and Brett Smith, program director for industry analysis at the Center for Automotive Research.
All are based around Detroit, but bring a global view of the battery business and the auto industry to their comments.
They're moderated by host John McElroy, who takes a mildly skeptical view in challenging the panelists with some conventional wisdom.
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We recommend watching the whole video, but here are a few excerpts from extensive notes on the many topics discussed:
Have electric car sales fallen short? No, they're actually better than expected--but hype was a necessary piece of the drive to get the industry underway
The U.S. today has 30 percent more electrified vehicles on its roads--hybrids and electric cars--than 2008 estimates predicted
In the U.S., light-duty passenger vehicles account for just 18 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions
LG Chem is confident that a 200-mile battery-electric car can be sold for less than $35,000 in 2017
Sakti3 is targeting a cost of just $100 per kilowatt-hour for its solid-state cells, at which point electric cars cost the same or even less than conventional cars
Cell cost represents 60 to 70 percent of battery pack cost in battery-electric vehicles, but only half in hybrid cars
Right now, every cell maker has committed to a form factor; Sastry says solid-state cells offer scalability in size and volume, so that will no longer be necessary
Lithium cells will be with us for at least the next 10 to 15 years; none of the participants were remotely worried about disruptive chemistries
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Em: http://www.greencarreports.com/image/10 ... a-sep-2014