One of the main factors explaining the price difference between combustion and electric cars is the costs associated with batteries, which today represent between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of the total value.
This year, the price of the cells is around 80 euros per kilowatt hour (kWh), while the complete pack reaches approximately 100 euros per kWh.
How much should it be worth to reach price parity?
“It must reach 50 euros per kWh so that we start to have a total cost of the car comparable to what we had with the gasoline one,” Francisco Carranza, CEO of Basquevolt, assures Mobility Portal España.
He stressed that although much progress has been made, there is still a long way to go to achieve this goal.
The challenge is not only to reduce the cost of the cells, but also their weight, which directly affects the design and overall price of the vehicle.
“There are still many aspects that need to be improved,” he says.
In this context, Basquevolt seeks to develop a new battery technology that makes them smaller, lighter and, at the same time, more affordable, with the aim of democratising electrification.
The firm has already begun work on 20 ampere-hour (Ah) cells, which account for about a quarter of the capacity of batteries used in electric vehicles.
By the end of this year, it plans to achieve the manufacture of 80 Ah cells.
Basquevolt bets on solid-state batteries
These are also expected to help reduce the cost of zero- and low-emission cars, as well as promising significant improvements in terms of safety and energy density.
How?
Increasing vehicle protection, especially in terms of preventing potential fires, since they do not run the risk of overheating.
This also increases autonomy, reduces weight and size, improves durability, allows for faster charging and is more environmentally friendly.
The industry buzz is that such a transition could see at least a one-third to 40 per cent increase in improved properties compared to current lithium-ion cells.
In this regard, Carranza explains: “Solid-state battery technology is an extremely difficult challenge and requires significant investment in research.”
What is needed to move towards this change?
“Moving from a graphite anode to a new lithium metal anode presents a challenge in developing an electrolyte compatible with the latter,” he explains.
This ultimately makes energy storage more efficient for each kilo of matter that has to be stored.
This breakthrough will ultimately improve the efficiency of energy use per kilogram of material used for storage.
To support this research and development, Basquevolt has recently opened a plant dedicated to the manufacture of prototypes of its cells, which includes a specific area for the production of its patented electrolyte (polymeric gel).
Construction of the facility, which began last summer, is now complete and operational.
It has cutting-edge machinery for the production of cells, which has allowed the production of its first 20Ah cells.
During 2024, the company will begin delivering the first samples to potential customers.
Basquevolt with its sights set on PERTE VEC III
The company rejected the aid granted by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism corresponding to the value chain of the second Perte of the electric and connected vehicle (VEC).
In this project, it received a grant of 3.89 million euros for the research and development of new cells, with a focus on safe and sustainable design that facilitates large-scale production of solid-state batteries for mobility applications.
However, Basquevolt has not given up its support, but plans to apply for the third round of the elections.
“We expect to obtain more favourable conditions and a higher funding intensity compared to what we obtained previously,” explains the CEO.
He added: “Therefore, we will resubmit our proposal, adjusting it to better align it with the requirements requested by the Ministry.”
