Cost-savings in lithium-ion battery production are crucial for promoting widespread adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles and achieving cost-parity with internal combustion engines. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of projected production costs for lithium-ion batteries by 2030, focusing on essential metals.
Considering the available state-of-the-art bottom-up cost models, Wentker et al. presented a modifiable cost model to estimate cathode active material (CAM) costs for ten sorts of lithium-ion battery cell chemistries based on real-time prices of raw materials.
It explores the intricate interplay between various factors, such as market dynamics, essential metal prices, production volume, and technological advancements, and their collective influence on future production cost trends within lithium-ion battery technology.
The implications of these findings suggest that for the NCX market, the cost levels may impede the widespread adoption of lithium-ion batteries, leading to a significant increase in cumulative carbon emissions.
Among those, advanced high-voltage or high-capacity materials indicate the lowest potential cost levels that reach down to 84 $ (kW h)−1. Among concepts that integrate a lithium-metal anode, sulfide SSB, LSB and LAB promise cost advantages and a minimum value of 70 $ (kW h)−1 is forecasted in respective studies.
The unit price for materials in a cell, particularly cathode active materials (CAM), is non-constant and unique because numerous parameters affect their prices, especially changeable raw material prices and relevant manufacturing costs . Therefore, an accurate battery cell cost model requires an updated price of the material.