Electric Vehicle And Battery Metal News - March 2019

SBTV brings you the latest news from around the world on the Electric Vehicle Revolution and Battery Metals.

1) Chinese electric vehicle makers are gorging on nickel

• Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers deployed 253% more nickel in passenger EV batteries in January this year compared to 2018.
• Increase is accorded to an ongoing shift from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) to nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathodes.
• China is now the largest market for passenger EV battery nickel, ahead of Japan and the US.

2) Nickel demand growing thanks to EV boom 

• The need for nickel is starting to rise at a time when its price is too low to incentivize new project development.
• Nickel supply markets are likely to diverge and split between stainless steel and EV demand.
• Demand pressures should call for higher nickel prices especially with the move towards high nickel battery chemistries.

3) Tesla Is in Talks With Chinese Battery Giant to Power Model 3s Made in China

• Tesla and CATL in talks to supply battery cells for Model 3 cars made in China.
• CATL is on course to become the biggest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries in China.
• Tesla plans to start battery and Model 3 production at the Shanghai factory by the end of the year.

4) Tesla launches new Supercharger with 1,000 mph charging, better efficiency

• New Supercharger is able to deliver a new 250 kW of peak power without power share between stations.
• New ‘On-Route Battery Warmup’ software feature will intelligently heat the battery to ensure optimal temperature to charge.
• V3 Supercharging will cut charging times by an average of 50%.

5) The US is a bystander in the global battery arms race for battery raw material

• Listen to our interview with Caspar Rawles of Benchmark Minerals Intelligence.

6) Kia partners with Amazon to make EV charger installation simpler

• Kia-Amazon partnership makes buying and arranging for installation of a charger as simple as buying anything else online.
• Shoppers can schedule a professional electrician to wire up the charger too.
• Goal is to remove one more barrier to adoption of plug-in cars.

7) James Bond to drive electric Aston Martin in new movie

• 25th Bond film will feature the titular character driving an electric Aston Martin Rapide E.
• Development shows how electric vehicles are becoming more mainstream in people's minds.

8) New York City says electric cars are now the cheapest option for its fleet

• The total cost of ownership can be far cheaper for all-electrics compared to gas and hybrid vehicles.
• Fleet owners focus on lifetime costs(maintenance, fuel, and ancillaries) rather than just the sticker price.
• EVs, because of their low fuel (electricity) costs and relative simplicity (uncomplicated motors, fewer moving parts) are cheaper, on a relative basis, than their conventional counterparts.