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[Richard230]

An article in my newspaper today, written by Tom Krisher and published by the AP, says that GM has announced a breakthrough in battery chemistry. It will potential double the capacity of their batteries and cut the price by 60%. This could give their EV Bolt a range of up to 450 miles and should be available within 5 years.

"The new battery cell chemistry now undergoing early tests at a lab inside GM's suburban Detroit technical center, can hold twice as much energy as the company's current electric vehicle batteries" and will "also cost 60% less than current battery packs now in the GM Chevrolet Bolt", according to Doug Parks, GM executive VP of product development.

"The chemistry, which will use lithium metal anodes, will help GM package battery cells for a wide range of vehicles at different price points and ranges, Parks said. The new battery cells also will be used by Honda, which is partnering with GM and battery cell supplier LG Chem of Korea."

"He said GM will build its own batteries to take advantage of economies of scale as more electric vehicles are sold. 'We'll learn it. We'll perfect it. We'll scale it and we'll ride that cost curve down', Parks said."

So don't expect to see these batteries being sold to individuals or small electric motorcycle companies any time soon. 

[gregj]

If Honda could make a genuine 125cc equivalent in terms of top speed and 100km range, for the price of a Japanese made ICE, I'm in.
I suspect I will be dead before it gets here though.

[Crissa]

So GM says they have a lab battery that might enter production in 2025 that might be as good at Tesla's battery that is entering production in 2021?

O-o

-Crissa

[T.S. Zarathustra]

GM actually claims breakthrough in chemistry. They don't appear to be fudging capacity numbers by comparing different physical sizes of cells.
There are always new breakthroughs in "early tests at a lab" that don't really work in the field for quality/price/capacity/lifecycles/power reasons so I won't stress too much while waiting.
One of my favorite recent lab breakthrough news was use of carbon in the solar panel and cells, as a structural element, and in the motors. A car could use the structural carbon solar panel on the top and sides, and the carbon cell everywhere else in the chassis. Add the carbon in the motors and the whole structure of the car would be the energy storage and solar to electric to kinetic energy conversion tool. I won't stress much waiting for that either.

[Fran K]

I searched and probably found the article on line.

https://wtmj.com/ap-news/2020/11/19/gm-new-batteries-cut-electric-car-costs-increase-range-2/

Just a few comments,

the 2025 date or 5 years as in post 1 seems to be a pledge to have 30 vehicles available.  The next generation of GM batteries are due out next year.  The 60% better batteries with partners Honda and LG may or may not be this.  Also has a note as to Tesla's actual "high production" time line for the battery or really seems to me mainly cell announced lately.

"More product details will be revealed at the Barclays Auto Conference on Thursday afternoon, Parks said."  The article is dated Thursday Nov 19 so has that happened yet?

What is a cell and what is a battery and what is a drive line effeciency or perhaps even a tire pressure recomendation, etc most likely gets lumped togheter for an overall improvement and then the article headline usually is battery.



Edit
"So don't expect to see these batteries being sold to individuals or small electric motorcycle companies any time soon." (end of post 1)   Maybe not Honda is in partnership with the other major Japanese companies to make motorcycle standards for batteries.  It is unclear to me if this will come to be a swappable battery module similar to the KTM and Zero FX police and 3.6 that might be available to small independent outfits.  I would expect the standard adopted to not only be a universal module configuration or configurations.

[Alan Stewart]

If Honda could make a genuine 125cc equivalent in terms of top speed and 100km range, for the price of a Japanese made ICE, I'm in.
I suspect I will be dead before it gets here though.

It seems like with the savings in fuel and service costs from riding electric that’s probably possible now if you look at total cost of ownership, not just purchase price.