Electric Car Superiority | The Supply Chain is All Mine | Cookies for Calculus

EE Times Current · 10 Jul 2020 · 34m

What this episode covers

Auto industry expert Egil Juliussen explains that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will become cost-competitive with internal combustion engine vehicles within five years, driven by battery prices dropping to $100 per kilowatt-hour, expanded model availability from automakers like VW and GM, and lower operational costs. Supply chain specialist Lewis Black, chairman of El Monte, discusses a survey revealing US manufacturers' heavy reliance on China for strategic minerals like tungsten and tantalum, highlighting the critical need for diversification and the loss of extraction knowledge in the West. The episode also covers emerging battery technologies such as supercapacitors and wireless charging, while noting the political and logistical challenges of reshoring mineral supply chains.

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