If there were a holy grail of electric vehicle batteries, it would be low-weight, long-range, and fast-charging. It would last a million miles and cost less than anything produced today.
So in the booming EV battery market, what kind of battery will check all those boxes? Who will invent it? And do we really need all those features in one battery in the first place?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Sam Jaffe, vice president of battery solutions at E-Source. They trace the history of the two major competing lithium-ion chemistries: Lithium Iron (or ferrous) Phosphate (LFP) and Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC).
Sam and Shayle also discuss the factors that shaped this competition, like China, Tesla, and access to capital. They discuss new partnerships between battery manufacturers and automakers, including LG and GM, Samsung SDI and Stellantis, ACC and Mercedes
And they cover questions like:
Who decides which chemistries to develop — automakers or battery part manufacturers?
Will a small number of chemistries dominate or will there be a rapid diversification of battery chemistries to meet different needs?
Is fast charging a nice-to-have or need-to-have?
Will the rising costs of battery materials, especially lithium, slow the adoption of EVs?
Plus, Sam explains why he is no longer bearish on vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging.
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