[Micele]

"Het lithium" gaat ca 6 maal goedkoper worden volgens de Chinezen. Iets met technische doorbraak.

Wat betekent dat Li-ion tractiebatterijen iets sneller iets goedkoper gaan worden.
Naargelang de wereldmarktprijs die doorbraak gaat voelen.

De lithiumprijs an sich maakt maar een heel klein deel uit van de kostprijs van een compleet accupack met temp-management.

https://electrek.co/2019/05/15/china...-breakthrough/

China claims new breakthrough cuts lithium production costs to record low, EVs look to benefit

Phil Dzikiy - May. 15th 2019

The Chinese government claims a new technological breakthrough pushes lithium production prices to a record low, which could have a big effect on electric car battery costs.

A Chinese government report claims the new process has made the cost of extracting lithium 15,000 yuan (US $2,180) per ton. That’s a huge dropoff from standard international prices for lithium, which often range from $12,000 to $20,000 per ton.

Reports last year saw prices in China hit the low end of that spectrum, but $2,000/ton would be a whole new ballpark.

As the South China Morning Post reports, though precise costs of lithium production are “a closely guarded business secret,” industry insiders confirmed this new rate would be one of the lowest rates known — if not the lowest.

China produces about two-thirds of all lithium-ion batteries and controls most of the world’s lithium processing facilities. That’s why the US is discussing legislation that would aid in the domestic mining of lithium and other materials that could be used in electric cars.

US Mining

That legislation — the American Mineral Security Act — appeared to take another important step forward during a hearing on Tuesday. According to Reuters, the hearing found “senators voicing bipartisan support for” the legislation, which aims to create a national electric vehicle supply chain policy.

The act would “require a tally of metal reserves in the United States and seek to streamline permitting for the EV sector.” US senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a co-sponsor of the bill, said,

“We are not doing ourselves any favors when we don’t know what we have in our inventory. I suspect we have more than we even think we do.”

China looms large in the Reuters report, as both politicians and analysts alike have been adamant in stressing the importance of China’s vast lead in electric vehicle materials.

The US really doesn’t know how many relevant minerals it has in this regard. Current estimates rely on corporate reports and historical data. According to the US Geological Survey, the country has 35,000 tonnes of lithium in reserve, which many see as a conservative figure.

Albemarle Corp operates the only lithium mine in the US — said to be capable of producing 6,000 tonnes annually — though more projects are in development.

Tesla recently warned of battery material shortages, including materials like lithium, nickel, and copper.

Electrek’s Take

There are a lot of moving parts here involving supply chains, possible mineral shortages, and more, but a legitimate breakthrough in lithium production would make an impact. Keep in mind, though, that lithium only represents a small percentage of the cost and volume of li-ion battery cells, so that impact could be somewhat limited.

The US is now apparently racing to find out what kind of mineral reserves it has, and if the American Mineral Security Act’s bipartisan support is as strong as indicated, it might become law in the near future.

In China worden met grote afstand de meeste en goedkoopste EV verkocht, uiteraard ook de kleinste enz..., ca 60 % kopen daar kleiner dan formaat Golf.
Zie verder:

https://www.jato.com/shanghai-2019-c...-cheaper-cars/

Thanks to their advantages in terms of volume and political support, the Chinese manufacturers are capable of producing small and cheap electric cars. But most importantly, these cars find consumers who want to take advantage of the government support for clean emissions. The result of this policy is that the biggest part of EV sales in China comes from small cars (citycars and subcompacts).



JATO’s figures show that there is a big price gap between China and Europe and the USA. The average retail price (excluding any kind of incentive) of EVs sold in Europe and the USA in 2018 was 58% and 52% higher than in China, respectively. This is a huge difference that partly explains the EV penetration in each market. For example, the Chinese EV market was 3.5 times bigger than in the US, but the ratio of their total vehicle sales was 1.6.

A market controlled by local brands



In 2018, EV sales (BEV+PHEV) in China totalled 1.12 million units, up by a massive 88%. As a result, it is by far the largest EV market in the world. In contrast to the overall market composition, the electric vehicle market is mostly controlled by Chinese manufacturers, whose sales accounted for 89% of the volume.

The strong presence of the Middle Kingdom brands is also reflected in their key position during the motor show in Shanghai. Their new cars and concepts are as impressive and appealing as their foreign rivals, and the days when consumers noticed a big gap in quality and design are firmly in the past. In Shanghai, eight of the 17 most important EV launches are from Chinese brands.

Tougher rules in Europe will only benefit the Chinese makers

As the CO2 emissions targets for 2021 get closer, and the main players in Europe look for any way to reduce their averages, it is clear that there is a big opportunity for China. Most of the car makers operating in Europe are unlikely to meet the targets, which will have potential consequences on their profits. Some of them, like Renault-Nissan and Volkswagen, are accelerating their electrification plans, while others like FCA are making use of the super credits policy.