All batteries have a life time. That time is different from autonomy, since we are not talking about how long it can last in a single recharge and how many times it can be recharged.
In the world of electric cars that time is essentially important, since having to change the entire battery supply system is not a very cheap thing, and doing it every few years could be unsustainable.
Now there is news on that subject, since according to Bloomberg, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) claims that its new cell can last 2 million km, or about 16 years, whichever comes first.
Today’s EV batteries last approximately 200,000 miles, so we are talking about multiplying by almost 7 the lifetime of current technology.
CATL is the world’s largest supplier of EV batteries, and they haven’t shared any information on how they designed such a durable cell. The fact is that Elon Musk visited China to verify it, and decided to install the new battery in future Tesla Model 3s, which will be built at the company’s factory in Shanghai.
The company is ready to produce the new batteries as soon as needed, and they further say they will only cost 10 percent more than existing offerings.
Let us remember that batteries are the most expensive component in electric cars, so moving forward in this direction is essential for the sector to become a reality, and not a good project on paper.
