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Lithium battery prices follow DRAM and flash
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    The sources pointed out that the 18650 battery cores' prices had gone up during the first half of 2017 and with the price increases in September, notebook firms are expected to see their battery costs rise 10-20%.

    As for lithium polymer batteries, the sources pointed out that the batteries' quotes have already increased by 20% recently.

    Lithium pricing has also increased by 60% since 2016 and with electric vehicles expected to reach shipments of two million units by 2017 and 9-20 million by 2020, the lithium pricing is unlikely to see any decline for the next three years and may result in further hikes in notebook battery prices.

  • 5 Replies sorted by
  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    Which sources?

    All articles about battery cost states that price for KW dropped constantly in the last two years. I agree that 18650 have nothing to do with automotive batteries.

    https://www.greentechmedia.com/amp/article/stem-cto-weve-seen-battery-prices-fall-70-in-the-last-18-months

    https://thinkprogress.org/chart-of-the-month-driven-by-tesla-battery-prices-cut-in-half-since-2014-718752a30a42/

    https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/03/09/ev-growth-gives-lithium-ion-batteries-cost-edge-in-stationary-storage-finds-lux-research/

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    DIGITIMES, they have very good sources usually.

    I agree that 18650 have nothing to do with automotive batteries.

    Actually 18650 is the cells used for now in Tesla batteries as well as 90% of all electric scooters and Chinese electric buses (who consume much more batteries than western manufacturers).

  • Adam_MercierAdam_Mercier

    Mid range automotive grade 18650 cells such as panasonic PF or samsung 29E have never been so cheap, I brought 20kwh over the last two years.

    I think the raw materials cost is most important in low end cells as used by china ebikes and otherboards. Usually they will use 2000-2200 mah cells with cost below 1$ per cell.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @Adam_Mercier

    Low end cells differ very subtle from more capable ones. With main goal being for leaders to maintain big margins on them and do not leak technology used.

    Biggest consumer of high capacity cells is the Chinese electric public transport.

  • Adam_MercierAdam_Mercier

    I think raw material costs much be very similar for a low end cell and high end cell, because weight is similar (2.2ah LG 18650-S3 ->47gr and samsung 30Q 45.6gr) So the increase in price of raw materials will have less impact as cost of the processing is even higher in relation to materials cost. A 18650 cells is ~0.75gr of litihum.

    But it makes a very good excuse to increase margins

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