At our 2018 price, the battery costs around $7,300. Imagine trying to buy the same model in 1991: the battery alone would cost $300,000. Or take the Tesla Model S 75D, which has a 75 kWh battery. In 2018 the battery costs around $13,600; in 1991, it would have been $564,000. More than half a million dollars for a car battery.
They estimated a repurposed battery selling price of $44–180/kWh from a battery health model and a new EV battery price of $150–250/kWh. Based on a purchase price of $19–131/kWh for retired EVBs, the repurposing cost of second-use batteries including labor, equipment, and other recurring costs was estimated to be $25–49/kWh.
IEA analysis based on data from Bloomberg and Bloomberg New Energy Finance Lithium-Ion Price Survey (2023). “Battery pack price” refers to the volume-weighted average pack price of lithium-ion batteries over all sectors. Price of selected battery materials and lithium-ion batteries, 2015-2024 - Chart and data by the International Energy Agency.
The price of lithium-ion battery cells declined by 97% in the last three decades. A battery with a capacity of one kilowatt-hour that cost $7500 in 1991 was just $181 in 2018. That’s 41 times less. What’s promising is that prices are still falling steeply: the cost halved between 2014 and 2018. A halving in only four years.
The key cost categories for batteries are the costs of battery purchase, battery cabinet, and distributing electrical equipment. The results show that the payback period of second-life and new battery energy storage is 15 and 20 years, respectively.
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.