liveforphysics
100 TW
Hillhater said:Luke, what is your assessment of the current cost of 18650 cells ?
There have been comments on line, from supposed "Battery industry insiders". That quality brand 18650 cells are trading wholesale for less than $1.0 per cell (in volume, obviously).
That is hard to believe when musk and others are talking of trying to get cell costs below $200 /kWhr, and raw materials have been stated at $60-$70 /kWhr.
( quality 18650's should be around 100cells per kWhr )
For 18650's, the cost per cell to make a 1.2Ah power cell, or a 3.4Ah energy cell are surprisingly close, so cost in $/Wh heavily depends on the cells energy. Right now the highest energy stuff has the most margin in it, and as energy densities grow and competition drives cells into being priced like commodity items have the most room to drop in $/Wh.
I can't tell you the cost of mfg because I don't know, but there is a ton of steps and labor involved, I've been directly immersed in it all week. I can tell you this though, making dead-nuts consistent virtually zero fall-out 18650's is a cakewalk compared to making pouches, and anyone who tells you the raw materials cost is $60-70/kWh isn't living on the same planet I am. The margins are sadly razor thin in 18650's due to so much competition.