It’s hard to imagine the UK’s roads powered exclusively by electric vehicles. Despite the recent developments of Tesla and other car manufacturers, for many drivers, the entry price point is still far too high. This could be a problem considering the former Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, set a target of banning the production of new petrol or diesel cars by 2035. As of yet, it’s uncertain whether the new Labour government will continue this, but given the state of the climate, it will inevitably be on the agenda.
This is why the recent developments in solid state batteries (ASSBs) from lithium-ion batteries initially developed in the 1990s, is a positive technological step forward, but may not benefit all drivers. According to The Eco Experts, at the end of March 2024, zero emissions (fully electric) vehicles accounted for just 2.7% of all road using vehicles. To really drive the EV (Electric Vehicle)revolution forward, we should perhaps be looking at lowering the entry point to buying one of these cars in the first place.
However, there is much to celebrate as ASSBs promise more power and eventually, aim to be cheaper for drivers. Here’s why.
According to Nissan, who recently unveiled their ASSB production line at its Yokohama plant, these innovations are positive for drivers. This is because they predict their solid state batteries will reduce costs to £60 per kWh by 2028 and then with further mass scale production, to £50. Meaning when it comes to replacing your EV’s battery - you may be facing a cost that’s matched to petrol and diesel car prices.
Similarly, Volkswagen recently announced its collaboration with QuantumScape to mass produce ASSBs, meaning the race to perfect these new batteries is on. It’s refreshing to see the innovation being led by more everyday car brands than the likes of the more luxury end of the scale, but it will take time to get the costs down for everyday drivers, but the potential savings is definitely on the cards, which can only be seen as a plus.
Not only will ASSB batteries be cheaper to replace for EV owners, but due to the technological step forward, they also promise an increased range on a reduced charge time. Unlike pulling up at a petrol station and loading your car with fuel, obviously, with EVs you have to wait for them to charge - which can be a drawback. However, potential estimates predict distances of 500 miles on one single charge taking a matter of minutes - which would be a huge benefit for drivers.
However, if the UK is to increase the amount of EV drivers, it needs to be prepared to ramp up its public charging facilities. According to the DVSLA, as of October 2023, there were 49,220 charging stations across 30,000 locations. These can be found in car parks, supermarkets and service stations - however - for some who live in more remote areas they’re not always accessible.
You can have a home charging point installed but these cost around £800, and you have to have a home where this is feasible. Although EVs are cheaper to run than petrol or diesel cars - at roughly £6 for a full charge - more charging stations and initiatives to produce more work and home spaces with them wouldn’t go amiss to improve accessibility.
There’s no doubt these developments in ASSBs have many benefits and will pave the way for making improvements for drivers - but they will take time and are dependent on EVs being affordable in the first place. Currently, buying a second hand petrol or diesel car is the most accessible way of owning a vehicle.
There is the option of buying a second-hand electric car, but owners can face the additional worries of having to replace a battery - and currently (ASSB permitting) replacing an EV battery is considered a write off due to the eye wateringly high costs. For many drivers, buying second-hand is the only way they can afford any car, so a second-hand EV is not even an option. New EVs come at a price point which pushes a lot of drivers out who usually opt for second-hand, used cars.
However, the development of ASSBs shows that progress and benefits for everyday drivers are on the horizon. There’s no doubt these battery innovations have the potential to be beneficial to future EV owners and generations, with a reduced charge time without sacrificing the range of miles. However, other changes have to be made to make EV ownership mainstream.
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