SAE International
December 2013

Battery expert releases 'insider' report.

Tesla Model S

The 2014 xEV Industry Insider Report” recently was released by noted battery expert Dr. Menahem Anderman, President of Total Battery Consulting. Based on on-site interviews with senior battery technologists and business development executives at 18 major automakers and 20 battery-system suppliers across three continents, the 175-page work dissects hybrid and electric vehicles and battery technology, the market for each, and provides an assessment of the likely trajectory of all three tiers of the industry as far out as 2020. “The heavy discounts offered by carmakers to buyers of EVs and PHEVs (Tesla excluded) put a price pressure on the whole supply chain. The key question here,” Anderman told Automotive Engineering International, “is whether or not EVs with a longer range, say 150-200 miles, will prove more viable. Most car companies do not see a route for a cost-effective 150-200-mile EV, but Tesla did surprise them once.” On the other hand, he continued, “strong (full) HEVs are sold with profits—providing a more attractive business environment. This poses a big challenge to companies who have over-invested in EVs and PHEVs, rather than strong HEV technology.” Anderman will present some of his findings at his company’s event, the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference Feb. 3-7, and at the SAE 2014 Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Technologies Symposium Feb. 11-13

Written by Patrick Ponticel

Source