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Oh, the article gives numbers! Tesla: $158/kWh Competitors: "more than" $200/kWh Model 3 SR+ has a 54 kWh battery. Tesla advantage = (200 - 158) * 54 = $2268

Oh, the article gives numbers! Tesla: $158/kWh Competitors: "more than" $200/kWh Model 3 SR+ has a 54 kWh battery. Tesla advantage = (200 - 158) * 54 = $2268 per car. Yes, an advantage today, but not too bad.

Vesuvium 7y ago
Sounds like a lot of money for such a competitive market
- H8crilA 7y ago
  Yeah it is a lot for this market. VW makes around €500 per car, on average. But even that kind of a margin benefit may not justify the current valuation...
SEJeff 7y ago
The Maxwell Technologies battery technology is allegedly 10x cheaper to manufacture due to no oven or liquids and as a result, and also lighter. Elon says the "holy grail" of batteries is being able to develop an automotive grade battery at <= $100/kWh. The Maxwell tech looks to be below that, but we'll find out specifics on the upcoming Battery Investor day.
- AndrewDucker 7y ago
  Fingers crossed that the rumours are accurate. There are a lot of "coming soon" battery improvements that aren't nearly as impressive when (if) they finally arrive. Be lovely for one to actually live up to them.
  - SEJeff 7y ago
    For the Tesla Semi and Cybertruck to not be huge loss leaders for Tesla, they have to have made a fundamental breakthrough in battery cost. I'm anxious to see what they come up with.
- smileysteve 7y ago
  Just the super capacitor allows for much better durability of all battery technology, especially in normal driving conditions.
  - SEJeff 7y ago
    Maxwell made ultracapacitors not supercapacitors. Elon has stated that those weren't useful at all for Tesla, but their dry battery electrode manufacturing process stands to be the holy grail. This is what I was referring to.
clouddrover 7y ago
Volkswagen is paying less than $100 per kWh for their MEB cars: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/08/business/volkswagen-trademark-electric-vehicles.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/08/business/volkswagen-trade...
- matahwoosh 7y ago
  I don't know if it's true. People tend to conflate the price for cells with those of modules and entire battery packs. IIRC, the holy grail is < $100/kWh for a battery pack.

Vesuvium 7y ago

Sounds like a lot of money for such a competitive market

H8crilA 7y ago
Yeah it is a lot for this market. VW makes around €500 per car, on average. But even that kind of a margin benefit may not justify the current valuation...

SEJeff 7y ago

The Maxwell Technologies battery technology is allegedly 10x cheaper to manufacture due to no oven or liquids and as a result, and also lighter. Elon says the "holy grail" of batteries is being able to develop an automotive grade battery at <= $100/kWh. The Maxwell tech looks to be below that, but we'll find out specifics on the upcoming Battery Investor day.

AndrewDucker 7y ago
Fingers crossed that the rumours are accurate. There are a lot of "coming soon" battery improvements that aren't nearly as impressive when (if) they finally arrive. Be lovely for one to actually live up to them.
- SEJeff 7y ago
  For the Tesla Semi and Cybertruck to not be huge loss leaders for Tesla, they have to have made a fundamental breakthrough in battery cost. I'm anxious to see what they come up with.
smileysteve 7y ago
Just the super capacitor allows for much better durability of all battery technology, especially in normal driving conditions.
- SEJeff 7y ago
  Maxwell made ultracapacitors not supercapacitors. Elon has stated that those weren't useful at all for Tesla, but their dry battery electrode manufacturing process stands to be the holy grail. This is what I was referring to.

clouddrover 7y ago

Volkswagen is paying less than $100 per kWh for their MEB cars: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/08/business/volkswagen-trademark-electric-vehicles.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/08/business/volkswagen-trade...

matahwoosh 7y ago
I don't know if it's true. People tend to conflate the price for cells with those of modules and entire battery packs. IIRC, the holy grail is < $100/kWh for a battery pack.